


Cross the Boundaries

by Applefall



Series: Until it Breaks [1]
Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Alpha Andy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Beta Joe, Bonding, Crushes, First Times, Loss of Virginity, M/M, alpha pete, handjobs, omega patrick, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-08 01:46:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7738666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applefall/pseuds/Applefall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Patrick meets him on a hot summer day in a bookstore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will be my first chaptered fic in quite a while, hopefully I can keep up with it! I've been wanting to write an abo thing for a long time and so here it is, as joetrick. Other things come into play later on. I hope this is okay and you guys like it! I plan to try and update every few days, or, if it happens, sometimes every day. We'll see!

Patrick meets him on a hot summer day in Borders.

He's eavesdropping, unconcerned with the fact that it's rude. He's pretending to look for a book, scanning the shelves and pulling them out at random and pretending to read the back. What got him interested in the conversation was the mention of a band he likes.

If Patrick could, he'd go and speak to them instead of eavesdropping. But he's an omega, and he probably shouldn't even be out in the first place. But he's tired of being at home, cooped up because he's an omega. It's stupid that his brother can go out, but he can't.

Patrick keeps to himself though, before he actually does find a book he likes and he bundles it close. The two boys are discussing metal music now, and Patrick's really interested. He's interested more so in the tall, curly haired beta whose talking to the alpha, shorter, but still tall. He's kind of rude, often interrupting the taller boy and giving him haughty looks. Alphas.

The taller beta eventually breaks away from his friend, waving goodbye, and turns around to face Patrick. Patrick ducks his head immediately, hoping the beta doesn't call him out. At least his alpha friend is leaving. The beta sees him and comes towards him, and Patrick wishes he hadn't been standing so close.

"You've been there for a while." The beta says, amusement in his voice. Patrick winces. He's been caught, and he's going to be taken to some alpha. His poor mother will worry when he doesn't return home. "Can't find something?" The beta asks. He doesn't sound annoyed or anything, and when Patrick chances a look, his eyes sparkle with amusement.

Patrick shrugs and holds out his book. He's not been given permission to speak, and he's not going to take any risks. Some people are like that. They trick the omega into speaking and use it against them. Not Patrick, it's been drilled into his head that he shouldn't speak unless the beta or alpha says he can.

The beta takes the book, looking it over. "That's a good one." He says, sounding genuine. "What's your name?" Patrick appreciates the fact that he doesn't say his name when he most likely knows it. His collar states it plainly, allowing everyone to easily identify him. It's... actually very kind of the beta to not use the collar and actually ask him. "Oh! You can speak." The beta adds when Patrick doesn't say anything for a few moments.

Patrick clears his throat. "It's Patrick." The beta grins at him, nothing malicious in his grin, like Patrick's seen many times before, it's all genuine kindness and bright eyes. Patrick really likes it, the change from what he normally sees. It's comforting to know there's people that are kind.

"I'm Joe. Joe Trohman." Joe introduces himself, holding his hand out. Patrick stares at it for a few moments, almost confused. He's never been asked to shake a beta or alphas hand, never. Most alphas would breathe down his neck, touch his ass lightly. Betas would nod at him, but keep to themselves. Patrick takes his hand though, shaking lightly. "Now, you weren't really looking for a book, were you?" Joe teases lightly, drawing back and giving him plenty of space. That's new too. 

Patrick shrugs again, but blushes. He's definitely been found out. He's not as embarrassed as he should be though, maybe because of Joe's warm smile and kind eyes. "You guys were talking music and well... I love music." Patrick tells him, taking the book back from him and hugging it close. "You've got good taste." 

Joe looks him over once, quickly, and Patrick wants to huff at him for doing so, but he stays silent. "Yeah," Joe starts, eyes meeting his again, "I do." Patrick can't help but shiver a little, because he has to admit that Joe's kinda hot. He's got piercing blue eyes, dark curly hair, and he's tall. "I love music, too. I'm in a band, and it's a ton of fun. You ever heard of Pete Wentz?"

Of course Patrick has. There's probably not anyone in Chicago that hasn't. He's the king of the scene, his band Arma Angelus playing sold out shitty shows. It's impressive, considering he's only twenty-two. But he's probably arrogant and probably considers himself Gods gift. Patrick hates those types of alphas, but they're everywhere. 

"I have. You're in Arma?" Patrick asks politely. He's not very interested in their music. It's okay, but Pete can't sing for shit, and he's never been very into the whole screaming thing. Joe nods, excited, clearly happy Patrick knows who they are. "I've never seen you with them before."

"I just joined, actually. Guitar. Last guy broke his arm in a fight and quit." Joe explains, eyes bright and blue. "It's awesome." Patrick smiles back or the first time, liking the way Joe sounds when he talks about the band and music. "Are you in a band?"

There's an awkward silence as Patrick debates how to answer, before Joe seems to realize his mistake. Omegas aren't in bands. Omegas don't work. Omegas don't do things betas and alphas do. "Oh, fuck, I'm so sorry." Joe says, genuinely apologizing. Patrick shakes his head. It doesn't matter. He's come to terms with it.

The conversation dies after that, neither of them knowing what to say to fix the awkward silence. It's not Joe's fault, and Patrick doesn't blame him. It's a mistake that happens, and Patrick prefers it over alphas sneering at him when he talks about music.

Joe shifts awkwardly before he scratches his neck, looking up at him again. Patrick looks down when their eyes meet, before scolding himself and looking back up. "Can I have your number?" Joe blurts, looking hopeful. "Like, I have stuff I can't get out of today but I'd really like to take you out, if you wanted to I mean, like if you don't want to that's okay, I know that it's really kinda forward and-"

"I'd like that." Patrick interrupts his rambling. He can tell now that Joe has lisp, and it's adorable, how it becomes more pronounced when Joe gets flustered. Joe beams at him, and he digs through his pockets, emerging victorious with a pen. "You better call me." Patrick tells him, smiling. Patrick holds his arm out and Joe takes it, calloused hands holding his arm gently, like he may break as he scrawls his number on Patricks's arm. It's a nice feeling, and Patrick doesn't want to pull away from him.

Joe pockets the pen and steps back, a shy smile on his face. He's dropped the confident act he had, now he's a little shyer. Patrick likes it. "I'll definitely call you." Patrick gives him a wide smile, glad with the way his eavesdropping is. "I gotta go though, work and stuff." Joe looks regretful, like he doesn't want to leave, even though they hadn't actually had a particularly scintillating conversation.

Joe waves goodbye before rushing off, checking his watch as he hurried out. Patrick's left holding the book and staring after him, a little confused as to what happened. He got a cute betas number and went out in public with no alphas harassing him. That's a pretty amazing feat to Patrick. 

He rubs the arm where Joe's left his number and smiles. He knows he's going to be waiting up for a call from Joe. Patrick feels like he's someone that, once he gets to know him better, he'll be able to talk to all the time without getting tired of him. He's looking forward to that. There's never been anyone like that in his life, every alpha whose ever listened to him only did so to try and get in his pants.

Patrick knows Joe's different, he has to be. Even if he ends up just being a friend, he wants a good friend, not someone who will stab him in the back in favor of someone else. He feels like he deserves it, he's done everything anyone's ever asked of him, and he's tried to be a good omega.

Not that he has much of a choice. Bad omegas get turned into good omegas and are never the same. Patrick's read the stories. It's messed up, but... no one cares what the omegas think.

Patrick pays for the book after that and leaves, keeping his hood up as he walks the short walk home. He can't take any chances, can't risk any alphas coming up to him and harassing him. He likes to think he can handle it, but deep down he knows he can't. There's no way he'd be able to stand up to an alpha.

He can't help but think about the articles he's read as he's walking home, and he walks quicker, fear spiking through him when he sees a car or a person out on the street. Patrick hates being an omega, hates that just walking on the street is a serious safety concern for him. It's bullshit and he wishes that there were no omegas and no alphas, everything would be better if there were only betas.

It's four by the time he makes it home, and when Patrick walks inside his mother appears, face red and anger in her eyes. "You went out!" She says accusingly. Patrick can see not only anger, but fear. She'd been worried about him, and Patrick feels his stomach tighten.

"It was only for a bit." Patrick tells her softly, knowing he made a mistake. But if he hadn't gone out, he wouldn't have met Joe. "I'm okay, mom." Patrick adds, seeing her shake and look him up and down, checking for bruises or scratches. She swallows hard and closes her eyes before bringing him into a hug.

"It's dangerous." His mother says quietly, though all the anger is gone from her voice. Instead, she sounds tired. "I know how it feel, Ricky, but it's dangerous."

Patrick swallows down the lump in his throat and blinks back tears that threaten to form. He's not going to cry about being an omega, he's done enough of that for a lifetime. "I won't do it again, mom. I promise."

Once she lets him go Patrick heads upstairs to his room, feeling tired out of nowhere. He only wants to sleep, block out the world for a long while. Eventually this will be his life, sleep, sleep, sleep. Omegas don't go to college, omegas don't finish high school. He most likely won't go back for his senior year, because he's getting to the age of his first heat.

Once the first heat hits, it's all downhill. All he'll be seen as is some breeding machine, or some play thing for alphas. That's all omegas are good for, Patrick thinks bitterly. He's wallowing in so much self pity for the longest time that he almost doesn't hear his phone ring. 

Patrick scrambles to pick up his phone, nervousness shooting through him. He hopes its Joe. Patrick answers and to his relief, Joe's on the other end. Joe says hello to him, a smile in his voice, and Patrick can't help but smile too. All the awful anger and sadness bleeds out of him as he talks to him about music, his favorite foods and colors, everything.

They talk and talk and talk until Patrick's mouth is dry and his side aches from laughing. After Joe got him to open up a bit it was great, and Patrick finds that he loves talking to him. He's never talked to someone like he did with Joe, just endlessly about things that don't matter and things that do. It's an amazing feeling and Patrick wants to do it again and again, every day.

Eventually though, it gets late and the conversation slows, both of them yawning. Patrick says a soft goodbye to Joe, feeling happier than he's been in a long time, and ends the call.

When he lays down and falls to sleep, he dreams of piercing blue eyes and curly hair, a kind smile and an amazing laugh.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this is okay! 
> 
> Not edited.

The week following Patrick and Joe meeting is pretty boring.

Patrick stays at home and reads the book he bought, but he can't really focus on it much. Instead, he thinks about Joe.

They talk every day, their phone calls spanning hours of each day. Patrick shares his dreams with Joe, everything and anything he has on his mind. He can't help it, he's infatuated with the idea of having a best friend to talk to, and he just spills everything to him, everything deep and personal even.

It's only been a week, but Patrick considers him his best friend. They haven't met other than that day in Borders, but Patrick really wants to. He wants to see him, talk to him face to face to see his reactions and everything like that, he wants to see the smile in his eyes like the smile in his voice when he talks about music.

Patrick brings it up about a week after they meet. 

"Joe, I want to see you. Like face-to-face." Patrick wants to so badly, he doesn't even know why. He knows he loves talking to Joe, but there's a dark part of him that tells him that he probably doesn't even matter to Joe. Joe's a beta, he probably has tons of friends that he cares more about then some omega he met a week ago. "You said you'd take me out." Patrick adds, wanting to make sure Joe doesn't say no.

On the other line, Joe hesitates, and Patrick feels his heart sink. Of course, he should have known Joe didn't see him as a friend, didn't care as intensely as Patrick does. Patrick thought he had found a friend, but it turns out that he hasn't. "Of course. Maybe you can come over to my place?" Joe interrupts his thoughts, voice soft. "I'd take you out if I could, but... you're an omega. It'd look bad." Joe tells him, voice even softer.

Patrick swallows hard. It would look bad. He's an omega, if he's out with a beta alphas could question that. Friendships with betas aren't forbidden, but relationships with them are as good as that. Not illegal, but highly frowned upon. An alpha could easily make the mistake that they were dating.

"Okay. I get it." Patrick says, disappointed. He wanted to hang out somewhere fun, like maybe a record store or just in the park, but as long as he gets to see Joe, then he supposes he's fine with it. 

Joe seems to sense his disappointment because his voice grows a sickly sweet that Patrick's never quite heard from him. "Hey, we'll have fun at my place. We can hang and play mariokart. It'll be awesome." Patrick hopes that he's right, he wants to have an awesome time with Joe. He also wants to know if Joe thinks of him as a close friend like he does.

Patrick tells him yes, and asks when it'll happen. "Maybe today? I can come pick you up." Joe suggests, voice brighter now, lisp a little more pronounced. Patrick feels his pulse quicken. The sooner the better, because he can find out if Joe's really a friend like he wants. "If you have other plans, that's okay."

Patrick nearly snorts. Other plans? He's an omega. His only plans include sleeping and cleaning. Patrick does suppose he should be grateful of that, because other omegas aren't as lucky as him. Some omegas, even at seventeen, are given to alphas by their families. 

He breaks away from his thoughts, and nods, before realizing Joe can't see him. Soon. "I don't have other plans. I'd like you to come pick me up." Patrick tells him happily, shifting on his bed. 

"Great! Just tell me your address and I'll head over there."

Patrick gives him his address and says goodbye. He's excited to go over to Joe's and hang out. But first, his mother. In all the excitement he forgot to ask her. Patrick heads downstairs to find her and ask, praying that she'll allow it.

He finds her in the living room, reading a book, and when he enters she looks up at him, before looking back down. "Hey, mom?" Patrick asks, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"What do you need, Patrick?" His mother asks, not even looking up from her book. Patrick should have known she would know that he wanted something.

Patrick sits next to her and smiles at her. She just sighs, knowing he's up to something. "Can I go over to a friends house?"

His mother tenses a little, before relaxing. "Who?" She asks, looking up and putting her book down. "An alpha?" 

"No, no way, mom. He's a beta, and he's really sweet." Patrick tells her. There's no way he'd go over to an alphas house if he'd only known them for a week. A certain beta, however... 

She looks at him for a long moment, studying his face. "You know what relationships between omegas and betas always end up like, Patrick." She says, a little sadly.

"We're just friends." Patrick cuts her off before she can say anymore. He's not dating Joe, but he does roll the idea around his mind for a few moments. Joe's cute and sweet. Patrick pushes the thoughts away immediately, though. Betas only dated betas. "Really. He's just a close friend."

His mom nods and laughs a bit at Patrick's defense, like she doesn't quite believe him. "Okay, dear. Just be home by ten." She gives him a kiss on the forehead and then goes back to her book, smiling and looking much calmer then when Patrick first brought it up. He's glad, he doesn't want to worry his mom. 

Patrick goes back up to his room and changes, then sits down on his bed and waits. Joe doesn't live very far, maybe fifteen minutes, and he arrives soon after Patrick talks to his mom. The omega hears the doorbell ring and he bolts downstairs, excited. 

His mom is at the door, and she opens it to reveal Joe, curly hair a mess, a smile on his face. "You must be Mrs. Stump?" He greets, eyes lighting up when he sees Patrick. "I'm Joe Trohman." Patrick can tell that his mom is instantly charmed by his friend, judging by the way she gives him a big smile.

Patrick hurries to the door and smiles back at Joe. "Okay, have fun, Patrick." She says, and waves goodbye to them. Patrick catches her shaking her head lightly when she closes the door, but he pushes that image away. He's with Joe, his closest friend, and he couldn't be happier.

"Patrick! What's up, dude?" Joe asks brightly, starting up the old van. It makes a few concerning noises, and Patrick draws his eyebrows together. "Uhm, don't worry about it. It always does that." Joe says a bit more nervously. 

Patrick buckles up and turns to grin at Joe. "Nothing much. I'm glad we can hang out!" 

"I'm sorry we can't like, hang out somewhere else. I just really don't want to get you in trouble, you know?" Patrick waves a hand, feigning disinterest, but in reality, he really wishes they could hang out somewhere. "I swear that if it was okay, I'd take you out somewhere."

Patrick knows Joe's being genuine, and he chances a look. He's got a smile on his face as he glances at Patrick, and a soft look in his eyes. Patrick swallows hard, that soft look doing something to him, before he realizes he hasn't replied to Joe. "It's okay, really. As long as we get to hang out."

Once they get to Joe's house, Patrick's cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing, and it's only been about fifteen minutes. Joe brings him inside and introduces his mother and father to him. They're nice, but one thing that stands out most about them is the fact that Joe's father is a beta and his mother is an alpha. He's never seen a beta alpha couple like this, married with a house and kids. It's bizarre to Patrick but he finds himself liking that they're not a typical omega alpha couple.

Joe's mother insists that Patrick take a plate of cookies upstairs, and he can't say no, not to an alpha. She smiles sweetly at them and tells Joe that Patrick's a nice boy, he's lucky to have a friend like him. It makes Joe blush and take Patrick upstairs, mumbling things about how his mom is nosy.

Once they're situated upstairs, Joe gives Patrick another grin. "What do you wanna do?" He asks, sitting on his bed and patting the space next to him. Patrick sits next to him and takes in his room.

It's a fair size, bigger than Patrick's at him, but still cozy. The walls are covered in various band posters, and a few different guitars sit in the corner, as well as an amp. It's clear he's sitting in the room of a musician, and he likes it. Patrick's itching to thumb through the records he has on his desk, stacked nearly. In fact, everything in the room is organized to a T, neat and clean. It's very unlike Patrick's mess in his own room.

"You said something about Mariokart?" Patrick laughs. Joe laughs right back and nods, sliding off the bed and going to the corner to set it up. Patrick continues to look around his room, until Joe comes back and hands him a controller. "You've got a lot of records." Patrick states, drawn back to the pile of them once more.

"Yeah! You can look through them if you want to." Joe tells him. "C'mon, we can do it now." Patrick nods and sets the controller aside, more interested in Joe's music taste than the game at the moment. Joe grabs most of them and deposits them gently on the floor. Patrick and Joe sit down next to the pile, and Patrick grabs the top one.

They look through them for a while, and Patrick listens to Joe tell stories of how he obtained each one. He's got so many, it's impressive. Patrick tears his eyes away from the record he's holding to look at Joe, whose looking down at one and chattering away. Patrick smiles softly, the image filling him with joy. He doesn't know why, but seeing Joe just talk about something he loves makes Patrick happy.

"That's all of them!" Joe states suddenly, looking up at Patrick and placing the record on the pile. "I've got a problem." Joe jokes, gesturing to the tall pile. "I can never resist the pretty cover art." 

Patrick laughs, and realizes that most of the records did have beautiful cover art. "If I had the money, I wouldn't be able to resist it either."

"I'd buy you anything if I could." Joe gives him an intense look. "You deserve anything in the world." He adds softly, looking away. Patrick can't help the blush that rises up, and he doesn't know what to say. Everything seems so quiet now, a silence rising between them. "Um, so. Mariokart?" 

Patrick nods, grateful for the subject change and silence break. He doesn't know what just happened in that moment, but he can't help feel like it connected them together in the best way. 

They sit back down on the bed and start up the game. Patrick's pretty bad, and Joe's pretty good, so it ends up with Joe winning most of the time. Once Patrick plays a few though, he gets better, and when he wins for the first time he cheers, fully intending to gloat over his win.

"I'm the best!" Patrick exclaims, grinning widely. "You suck!"

Joe feigns outrage, frowning so deeply that for a moment, Patrick feels afraid he did something wrong, but he can see the amusement in his eyes. "I suck? You only won once!" Joe argues, and Patrick chokes back a laugh.

"Maybe, but this is the beginning of me winning all the time." Patrick argues right back, feeling triumphant. Joe huffs and there's a sudden moment where Joe grabs the tag of Patrick's collar and draws him close.

"I'm better than you!" Joe says, nothing malicious in his voice, just pure joking, but Patrick freezes. He's close to Joe's face, Joe's hand on his neck, tugging at his collar. There's a moment where Patrick sees it as Joe proclaiming that he's better because he's a beta. It's ridiculous and out of context, but Patrick can't help but feel hurt.

Joe seems to realize what he's done a moment later, because he instantly releases Patrick's collar. "Oh, fuck, I didn't- I didn't mean to do that, I swear, Patrick!" Joe panics, eyes flashing with fear. Patrick pulls away from Joe, swallowing hard. He may have not meant to do it, but it's made Patrick painfully aware of his place in the world again. He's an omega, less than a beta and an alpha. 

"It's fine." Patrick manages to say, not knowing how he feels anymore. "I'm. I'm an omega. You're allowed to do that." Patrick chokes out, hating himself for saying that. It's /not/ okay, not in his eyes, but it's acceptable in their society.

Joe shakes his head immediately. "Fuck, Patrick. It's not okay. I was just joking, I swear, and you were right there and I just wanted you to be closer, I-" Joe cuts himself off, blue eyes wide. He's trembling, and Patrick realizes how sorry he really is. It doesn't change the fact that Patrick feels less than a person at the moment, but it does make him feel a bit better. Joe didn't mean to do it, and he's really sorry.

"I wanted you to be closer, that's all." Joe whispers, closing his eyes like he's in pain.

Patrick looks back up at him, not realizing the weight of his words. "It's okay, Joe. I forgive you." 

Joe opens his eyes and he looks relieved to be forgiven, but there's also something else in his eyes that Patrick can't quite put a finger on. "It won't happen again." Joe promises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda regret writing this but. Oh well I guess. Leave a comment if it's not completely bad? I know it's been a while since I've wrote and I need to get back into the groove but this whole work feels really bad. I'm considering deleting it before I get too invested in it, but I'm not sure :/


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really liking this story, honestly. I hope you guys are, too! I know these chapters aren't really the longest, but 2000 words a chapter is my goal. Hopefully they'll get a little longer. I'm looking at maybe 20,000 words total for this fic? That's the goal I have set for myself because I've never wrote a fic that long. I hope that despite the short-ish chapters you guys are enjoying it!

"Pete wants to meet you." Joe tells him on the other end of the phone, amusement in his voice. Patrick laughs at this, his cheeks beginning to ache with all the smiling and laughing he's doing. "Seriously!"

Patrick scoffs, rolling over onto his side. "The great Pete Wentz wants to meet me?" Patrick asks, not believing him entirely. Pete is a semi-famous alpha in Arma Angelus, why would he want to meet an omega like Patrick? "How come?"

"I may have told him a lot about you." Joe explains. "And he wants to meet you. We're friends, and he's pretty cool, I swear." Patrick's not entirely sure about that either. He's heard the stories, heard about Pete Wentz, how he takes omegas and betas home and plays with them for a few weeks before dumping them harshly. He's not so sure he wants to meet Pete if he's as bad as the stories say, but if Joe's friends with him, Patrick will give him a chance. Anything for Joe.

They've known each other for a month now, and it seems that they've only grown closer as time has gone on. Patrick spends much more time at Joe's place and vice versa, neither of them wanting to leave when it's time. Patrick's going to suggest sleep overs soon, but he's doesn't want to push anything. He's not even sure if Joe would think it would be all right. Nevertheless, Patrick spends most of his available time with Joe, and Joe never seems to mind.  
Patrick rolls over again, laying on his back and imagining Joe in the same position, a smile on his face as he talks to Patrick. "Hmm, maybe. As long as he's not an arrogant dick like I've heard." Patrick chuckles, pushing his hair out of face. 

"Great!" Joe exclaims, brightening a little. "You and him are my best friends and I want you guys to get along too if we ever hang out together, you know? You're great and he's going to love you, trust me." Joe laughs again. "Just try not to fall for his stupid pick-up lines, because trust me. He's gonna try out a few on you. Maybe on Thursday?"

"Noted. And sure, Thursday is a good time." Patrick laughs. He's not planning on getting charmed by some alpha that he doesn't even know. He'd be okay being charmed by Joe, though. Joe charms him on a daily basis anyways, often times slipping in soft words that Patrick doesn't quite understand. He doesn't understand if he's flirting or just being kind, Patrick's not sure which he would prefer. Sometimes Joe gives him the softest looks, a faint smile on his face as he looks at Patrick, and Patrick's heart flutters each time. He just doesn't know what it means.

They say goodnight after a bit more conversation, and Patrick hangs up the phone feeling content and a fluttering feeling in his stomach.  
Thursday rolls around much faster than Patrick expects, and he finds himself nervous to be meeting Pete Wentz. He hopes that he's as nice as Joe's been telling him, because he'd much rather prefer the Pete Wentz he's imagined up than the one he's heard about. His mother is out at work when they're due to arrive, and Patrick waits in the living room, drumming nervously on his thighs.

The doorbell rings around noon, and Patrick gets up to get it, taking a deep breath before he opens it. When he does, he's met with brown eyes and dark hair, a too wide grin with too big teeth. Pete Wentz. "Dude! Argyle? Really?!" Pete exclaims, looking Patrick up and down. For once in his life, Patrick doesn't mind. Pete's hot, hotter in person, without eyeliner smudged all over his face. "And knee high socks?" Pete adds in disbelief.  
"You're short." Patrick counters, though it's not much. He's shorter than Joe but taller than Patrick, and he doesn't seem to be offended at all. Instead, he gives him a cheery grin. Joe waves in greeting from behind Pete, eyes bright. "Hey, Joe. Come in." Patrick says, stepping aside. Pete walks right in, looking around and observing, but he keeps glancing back at Patrick.

Pete makes himself right at home and sits down on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "So, you're the famous Patrick Stump Joe never shuts up about, huh?" Pete asks, still looking around the house. Patrick catches Joe's face turning red, and he finds his own face growing hot for some reason. "Joe is so right. You're fucking adorable." Pete exclaims, and both Patrick and Joe turn a brighter red. Had Joe called him adorable? Pete winks at Patrick and Patrick feels heat rush through him. "So, Stump, you in school?"

Patrick sits down on the couch in between Joe and Pete, pulling his legs up. Pete's eyes drop to his thighs for a moment before he looks back up, a questioning look in his eyes. "I'm gonna be a senior, if I go back." Patrick tells him, hugging himself and feeling more self-conscious about himself than he ever has before. Pete nods, looking satisfied.

"You should do it. I know omegas don't go to college and stuff, but you should still get your diploma." Pete says seriously, throwing an arm around the back of the couch where Patrick is and leaning closer. "You're cute though, you won't have any trouble finding an alpha." Pete tells him, smiling. Patrick finds himself shrugging. He doesn't really believe that he's cute, and he doesn't really want to find an alpha at the moment, but he doesn't want to disagree with Pete.

Joe stiffens next to him, and Patrick looks back at him. He looks uncomfortable, eyes on Pete, eyebrows drawn together. "You okay?" Patrick asks softly, tilting his head. He's never seen Joe look like this, like he doesn't want to be in the conversation. Joe just nods stiffly, but keeps his eyes on Pete, something Patrick's never seen in his eyes. 

Patrick and Pete talk mostly for the next thirty minutes, exchanging small talk and some not so personal things about themselves. Joe keeps mostly to himself, but he keeps giving Pete looks that Patrick just doesn't get. Pete gives him looks right back, and Patrick feels caught in the middle of some silent conversation. It's a bit uncomfortable, to say the least, and Patrick doesn't know how to fix it. Joe shifts closer to Patrick at some point in the conversation and Patrick can feel his thigh warm against his own, and it feels... pretty nice.

"Hey, 'Trick. Can you sing?" Pete asks suddenly, eyes brightening. "Me and Joe want to start a band, but we need a singer. We think we have Andy Hurley for drums, which, cool, but still, we need a singer." Patrick shrugs. He doesn't really think he can sing. Anyone can, sure, but not everyone is meant to be a singer. Drums sounds more interesting to him, but he's an omega, so it doesn't matter anyways. Even if he had the voice of an angel, he wouldn't be able to be in a band. It'd be too dangerous.

"I'm an omega," Patrick points out. "It wouldn't matter anyways." Pete shakes his head, looking like he doesn't care what Patrick's just said.  
"Dude. I don't care if you're an omega. I've seen some omegas in the scene before." Pete argues with him, and Patrick can't argue with an alpha, so he just shrugs. If Pete really wants him to sing, he'll sing. He won't be any good, of course, but Pete seems like the type of person who will argue for hours on end to get what he wants. Patrick's definitely not that kind of person, so he just clears his throat and starts up a rendition of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart."

Patrick closes his eyes, not wanting to face Pete and Joe's expressions when they realize he sucks. He cuts off at the chorus after the second verse, feeling like he's tortured them enough. But when he opens his eyes, both Joe and Pete are looking at him with the same shocked expressions, and they glance at each other, eyes wide.

Joe's the first to come back to himself. "Holy shit, Patrick. You never told me you could sing." He says in a hushed voice, like he's sharing the answer to the meaning of life. Patrick feels surprise himself, eyes widening. "You're amazing!" Joe says in the same hushed voice, though Patrick can hear wonder in his voice. Pete nods furiously, blinking rapidly.

"He's right, man. You've got a fucking voice of an angel, right there! Joe! He's gonna be our golden ticket, dude!" Pete exclaims, beginning to bounce in excitement. "You have to sing in our band, oh my god." Pete tells him, clasping his hands together like he's prepared to beg. Patrick sits back and blinks at them, no clue what to say. He had expected a polar opposite of this reaction, maybe shared grimaces and soft words of empty encouragement, not these awe-filled stares.

Patrick shakes his head at the two of them. “You guys are crazy. Like, I’m really not good. What are you guys on?” He jokes weakly, but the two of them look completely serious. They share a look, and Joe suddenly stands. “Joe?”

“Can we talk? Privately?” Joe asks him, looking expectant. Patrick swallows and nods, standing up and following him into the kitchen, like it’s Joe’s house and not his. Joe leans against the wall and Patrick stands in front of him, nervously drumming on his thighs. “Dude, what gives? You’re amazing at singing.” Joe says, sounding like he’s upset at the idea that Patrick doesn’t agree with them. Patrick just shakes his head indignantly, refusing to believe him. “Why don’t you believe us? Me?” Joe asks, huffing. This isn’t the first time Patrick’s seen Joe annoyed, but it’s the first time he’s seen the beta annoyed at him. It’s a weird feeling and Patrick doesn’t like it. He wants Joe to never be annoyed with him.

Patrick shakes his head again and then shrugs. “I don’t know, Joe. I’ve never really like. Cared about my voice? You guys will find some crazy awesome singer, trust me.” Patrick reasons, trying to ease the annoyance out Joe’s eyes. It makes him uncomfortable and tense, a knot forming in his chest.  
“You’re a crazy awesome singer!” Joe insists, stepping forward and grabbing Patrick’s hand. His eyes soften and Patrick’s heart quickens as Joe clutches his hand. “Believe me. We wouldn’t be begging you to join if you sucked.” Patrick looks up at him, eyes wide, slight realization dawning over him. Maybe Joe’s right, they wouldn’t have made such a big deal if he was a sucky singer.

Joe looks at him expectantly, eyebrows drawn together. “I-I’m. Okay. Maybe you’re right.” Patrick stammers out when Joe threads their fingers together and holds onto his hand tight. He doesn’t know what Joe’s doing to him, but he can feel butterflies in his stomach and a blush rising up. Joe releases his hand once he realizes what he’s doing and he draws back almost like he’s been burned, but the soft look in his eyes stays. He straightens once Patrick agrees, and he grins down at him.

“Great! Let’s go tell Pete.” Joe says, and heads out to the living room again. Patrick follows him, and they find Pete messing around with his phone, looking up when they enter the room. “He agreed!” Joe announces, and Patrick turns to him quickly, frowning. He never said he would join this band that Joe and Pete are starting, only slightly agreed that his voice didn’t entirely suck.

“I didn’t say I would join!” Patrick huffs, sitting back down on the couch. “It’s dangerous! Like, let’s think. I’d be the frontman basically, which doesn’t work out well, considering I’m an alpha. And what if there’s some alpha in a rut? I’m gonna be clearly marked out, and they’ll make my heat start. A crowd of alphas will definitely make me loopy, too.” Patrick explains, frowning. He’d join if he was a beta, because then it would be fine and he’d be fine, but he can’t risk the dangers that would find him in a band.

Joe sits down next to him, frowning right back at him. “I’d protect you, okay?” Joe tells him, giving him an intense look. “I’m not an alpha, but I can still take care of you.” There’s a hint of bitterness in his tone, Patrick thinks, but he doesn’t realize why. Pete’s eyebrows shoot up before his face goes blank again. Patrick feels like there’s something Joe and Pete both know but he doesn’t, and it’s disconcerting, to say the least. “I swear.”  
Patrick’s taken aback by the intenseness in Joe’s stare, and it sends a shiver through him. “I-I’ll have to think about it.” Patrick says quietly, a little concerned. “I really will think about it.” He promises, trying to ease Joe’s gaze. 

“Just think about it.” Pete says, casting an unreadable look at Joe. “Joe’s right. He can take care of you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment on what you thought, or any feedback! Thank you so much! :-)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this double update today! I've written so much of this story already and I really like it. Feel free to comment on what you thought about it! :-)

Patrick tries not to look at his phone as it rings for the the third time in ten minutes.

It's not like he's ignoring Joe, he's just... He just doesn't want to talk at the moment, that's all. He's allowed to not want to talk to someone. It's not like it's a big deal.

But it kind of is. He and Joe have been glued together for the past month and a half, but for the past two weeks Patrick's hardly been picking up the calls. He doesn't want to face the fact that he's going to have decide on whether or not he wants to join the band.

He wants to, of course, he'd love to be in a band with Joe and Pete, but he's terrified. Terrified of what alphas may do and terrified of getting hurt. He can't make up his mind on what to do, because he definitely doesn't want to hurt Joe.

Patrick hesitates but answers the phone, regretting it immediately. He doesn't know the answer, yet! 

"Wow. Wasn't sure if you were alive or not." Comes Joe's voice, an edge to it. Patrick winces and scratches at a scab on his leg. "I've only been calling non-stop." Joe's definitely annoyed.

Patrick sighs and considers hanging up and hiding from Joe, but he knows that's a terrible, terrible idea. He doesn't want to lose one of the only friends he's got. "Pete said you've been texting him." Joe says accusingly, voice filled with hurt now. Patrick grimaces. Fucking Pete. Pete hadn't pestered him about joining the band, and they'd been talking a lot for the past two weeks, since he first met him. Pete's cool, much different from Joe though.

"Um." It's all Patrick can manage. He really doesn't know how to approach the situation. "Uh." 

Joe's silent on the other end. Patrick wishes that he hadn't been asked to sing, because then this would have never happened, and he'd probably be listening to Joe chatter about his day. "You seriously suck." Joe says quietly. "If you don't want to talk anymore, since you're Pete's best fucking friend or something, you should have just told me."

He hangs up, and Patrick's kind of shocked. Joe's never hung up on him before. They've argued over trivial things before, but that's definitely never happened.

Patrick tries calling but Joe doesn't answer, instead he gives Patrick a taste of his own medicine. After five tries Patrick gives up and tosses his phone away, frustrated. 

Joe's being stupid, he reasons with himself. He'll call back soon, Patrick thinks. To distract himself he goes downstairs to watch TV, but even once he's situated in front of the TV, he finds himself thinking of Joe. It's not fair that he had just hung up without Patrick having a chance to explain himself. Surely he couldn't think that Patrick was enjoying Pete's company more? Joe is his best friend, not Pete.

Patrick just wraps a blanket around himself before he decides that he's going to try calling Joe again. This time, Joe answers on the first ring.

"Joe," Patrick breathes in relief. "You're my best friend." He wants him to know that before anything else is said.

"I just thought... Maybe you didn't want to talk to me anymore." Joe's voice is tight, upset, and Patrick feels concern flood him. He doesn't want Joe to be upset. "You're my best friend, too, Patrick. But when you don't even really talk to me for two weeks, it gives off some serious bad vibes." 

Patrick bites down on his lip. "Let's go somewhere. We haven't hung out in two weeks. Let's grab something to eat." He suggests hopefully. They've never hung out in public before, and Patrick hopes that that'll change.

Joe's quiet for a moment, so quiet that Patrick starts to think Joe's hung up again. "Okay. I'll pick you up." Joe says, voice sounding less tight than before. Patrick's relieved. "See you in fifteen." 

The call ends and Patrick goes to get ready, excited. Finally, he'll get to actually do something other than play Mariokart with Joe. He changes into something a bit nicer then the tattered jeans and old shirt he's wearing. He wants Joe to feel like it's okay to hang out in public with him. Patrick may be an omega, but he's not someone to be ashamed of. At least, Patrick hopes.

True to his word, Joe arrives in fifteen minutes and picks him up. He looks tense when Patrick enters the car, gripping the steering wheel tightly, his hair a mess. "Hey." Joe greets, though it's half-hearted. He seems terrified, almost, and Patrick wants to reassure him somehow, but he doesn't know what the issue is.

Joe's silent the whole ride to a small burger joint that Patrick likes, and Patrick hates it. He hates the silence between them. It's not awkward, it's more upset than anything, and Patrick would give anything to change it. He tries making small talk, but Joe doesn't do more than grunt in answer.

When they park at the burger joint, Joe finally clears his throat to speak. "Stay close to me, okay?" Joe says, voice tight and worried. Patrick doesn't question him, and when they get out of the car, he sticks close to his side. "Just don't look at any alphas." Joe whispers, sounding more and more nervous as they enter the joint.

Patrick gets it then. Joe's worried because he's an omega and he doesn't want Patrick getting snatched up by some alpha. Patrick feels touched that he's so worried, but he doesn't want Joe worrying like this and not enjoying their time out. 

They get seated at a small table by a beta, and order their drinks. They're still silent, Joe looking around the place every few moments, like someone's going to sneak up and scare him. 

"Hey, Joe. Don't worry, okay? I'm not worried. I have you here." Patrick tells him softly, trying to ease Joe's tenseness. His worry is making him anxious, and Patrick tugs on his collar lightly, a nervous habit. Joe's eyes flick to his hands and then back up to his eyes.

"I'm just worried." Joe confesses, reaching across the table and taking one of Patrick's hands in his. "I'm just a beta, I can't ignore alphas if they tell me what to do." Patrick likes the feeling on Joe's hands around his, and he just smiled lightly at him.

He's not worried. Joe said he would protect him, and he trusts him on that. "I trust you." Patrick tells him, laying his other hand on Joe's. "Now stop worrying. We haven't hung out in weeks."

Joe's eyes brighten when Patrick places his hand on his, and he doesn't pull away, instead he leans in closer. "I missed you. I thought that like... You were just gonna ditch me for Pete. It's happened before..." 

"No way! You're awesome." Patrick exclaims, eyes wide. "And anyone whose ditched you for Pete didn't deserve your friendship in the first place." 

Joe gives him a soft smile, and Patrick feels the urge to just. Lean in and kiss him. He's startled by the thought and he pulls away from where their hands are joined. He can't do that! Joe's a beta, not an alpha! But when Joe gives him a soft look and sits back, his heart quickens.

No, he can't be developing a crush on Joe. It'd be fine if Joe was an alpha, but he's not. Patrick knows that he can't let this get out of hand, because if it does, then there's gonna be a lot of trouble. He can maybe talk to Pete and let the feelings pass? Pete was a nice, hot alpha. That's what he'd do.

Patrick tries not to let his anxiety at having a slight crush on Joe show. Once Joe begins to talk, he /talks/, just like normal, only pausing to order his food. It makes Patrick smile happily and listen contently while eating his food.

They just talk for a while after finishing their food, and soon Patrick's mind drifts to Pete. He's been talking to him a lot, they've got so much in common and Patrick feels a weird connection with him, like they can read each other's minds. Patrick's itching to get home all of a sudden, because Pete's an alpha and Joe's just /not/.

Joe seems reluctant to leave, and he quiets down again on the way back to Patrick's house. Patrick can see the gears in his head turning, all the way up to where he parks in his driveway. 

"Thank you for taking me out." Patrick says quietly, looking at Joe. Joe manages a smile, though it seems a little forced. 

"Thank you for coming with me. I'll see you soon?" 

Patrick nods in answer. "Definitely." They say their goodbyes and Patrick goes inside, straight up to his room to call Pete. He's gotta get this crush thing out of his mind before it warps into something huge. He is not going to fall for a beta, not when it's so socially unacceptable.

Pete answers immediately. "Rickster, Lunchbox, 'Trick!" Pete greets, voice bright. "What's up?" 

"Does there have to be a reason?" Patrick asks him. "I just wanted to talk." 

"Okay, let's talk then, cutie." Pete flirts lightly. He's always throwing terms of endearment around like that, and they make Patrick feel warm inside, even against his own will. "You have a bad day?"

Patrick sighs, shrugging internally. He had an okay day. He hung out with Joe but he also discovered that he might have a crush on him. That just wouldn't do. "It was okay. Tell me about yours."

Pete tells him without questioning it, and Patrick's grateful for that. Pete flirts and jokes with him and Patrick feels so at ease talking to him, like a wave of warmth just washes over him when he does. It's not hard, Patrick realizes, to tell what Pete's going to say next. It's not like that with Joe, where he has to guess. It just seems so much easier talking to Pete.

Patrick talks too, telling him about different things and how he's doing. He confesses that he still doesn't know about the band, and Pete tells him that it's perfectly all right. Pete keeps flirting and Patrick keeps feeling warm inside, happy.

Over the next few days, he talks to Pete more and more, until he doesn't want to think about not talking to him, like its a weird concept. Pete doesn't mind at all, he chatters right back, just as enthusiastic. They're having a normal conversation, Pete flirting away, until he brings up the band.

"You thought about joining any more?" Pete asks casually. "You know you don't have to join if you don't want to." 

Patrick picks at his shirt, nervous. "I don't wanna upset Joe..." He admits quietly. "I don't wanna lose his friendship."

Pete's quiet for a moment, thinking, Patrick knows. "Babe, have you even talked to Joe in the past few days? 'Cause not talking to Joe will upset him more than you not joining the band." Patrick shakes his head furiously, despite Pete not being able to see him. 

"I can't! He's a beta, and, and, I didn't want to get this crush on him, cause he's a beta and we'd have no future together like that! I can only have a future with an alpha!" Patrick argues, trying to explain himself. It's true, even if they were in love or something, there's be no future together. The only future is with alphas.

Pete's quiet again, for a much longer time. "Do you think we'd have a future together then? I'm an alpha." Pete says in the softest voice Patrick's ever heard him use. It catches him off guard, everything. The tone of Pete's voice, the question. Everything.

"Um..." Patrick thinks about it quickly. Despite all of Pete's flirting, he's never thought about him quite like that. They have some sort of connection, but Patrick doesn't know what it is. Then he thinks about it, really. Pete's hands on his face, kissing him gently, Patrick snuggled close to him under blankets, and Patrick round with their children. The fact that he likes those images shocks him. 

He's an omega, maybe it's just a natural reaction to an alpha saying something like this. Of course he wants all that, but does he want it with Pete? It'd be much easier to have that life with Pete than with Joe, and besides, Pete's kind, the kindest alpha he's ever met.

"Maybe." Patrick whispers, closing his eyes. "I've never thought about it." 

"I think about it every day." Pete whispers right back. "You're beautiful and amazing, and the best person I know." Patrick's taken aback by the sincerity in his voice. "I still want to be your friend if you don't like what I'm saying. I can never talk about it again, I swear."

Patrick makes up his mind then, in one terrifying decision. He can love Pete, an alpha, despite his fears. Then everything would be okay. No worrying about Joe, no worrying about anything, because Pete's an alpha. Patrick's never been the type of omega who wants an alpha to take care of them, but he knows in that moment that Pete can.

"Can we talk? Face to face?" Patrick asks, swallowing hard, heart pounding wildly. Now that he's thought about a future with Pete, an alpha, he can't stop. Lazy mornings, soft sex, children running around a house. It makes his toes curl with how much he wants that, but it also makes unease set in his heart with how much he doesn't know if he wants to share that with Pete.

If Joe were an alpha, there'd be no hesitation. But maybe he can put him aside for a perfectly amazing alpha right in front of Patrick.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you enjoy this chapter! Hope it's okay! :-)

Patrick waits for Pete nervously, not looking at anyone who passes by, for fear they're an alpha, and he bundles his coat tighter to hide his collar.

He's not been waiting long, and Pete's only three minutes late, but Patrick's panicking. Maybe he decided to not come? Maybe it'd be better that way anyway, because Patrick feels sick wth nerves. Patrick just hugs himself and keeps his head down, until a tap on the shoulder has him jumping in fear.

It's just Pete, eyes bright and grin too big. Patrick can't help but sigh in relief. "Hey." Pete says softly, taking the seat across from him. When Patrick looks closer, he can see he looks nervous, maybe as nervous as Patrick. It's been three days since Pete and him talked, and three days since Pete told him he thought about a future together every day. The past three days feel like the longest of Patrick's life.

"Hi." Patrick answers shyly. They're gonna talk about all this, sort everything out. They start with some small talk until Patrick decides he wants to get down to it. "Okay. Um. So I've thought about... Us... for the past three days." It's not completely untrue. Patrick's thought about a future with /someone/, but Pete didn't pop up in his mind each time. The futures he imagined with that someone were always nice, and so were the ones with Pete, but he didn't imagine one with him very often. Patrick's just so confused about what to do.

Pete grins at him again. "Really?" He asks, eyes crinkled up and happy. It's cute and Patrick can't help but smile back, mesmerized with his smile despite the storm in his head. 

Patrick nods, hugging himself a little tighter. He's not exactly lying, and he thinks confidently that in a few months, he might really love Pete. No harm in not liking him the same way for a while, if they were to date. "What about Joe?" Pete asks suddenly, frowning.

"He's a beta." Patrick says sharply. He's not here to talk about Joe. He's gotta get him out of his head and think of him strictly as a friend. "There couldn't be an us." Pete raises his eyebrows and tenses.

"If you're doing this because I'm second-best to Joe or something, then we're not doing this." Pete says just as sharply, eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to just toy around with you, and I'd expect you to do the same. If you're doing this just because I'm an alpha and Joe's not, then it's not happening."

Patrick frowns at him. Though Pete's hit the mark dead on, he's not going to let him know that. Instead of arguing, he widens his eyes and looks at Pete as innocently as can be, hoping Pete doesn't catch his lies. "I want you. Not Joe. I haven't even talked to him in days." He says boldly, the words nearly catching in his throat. Untrue, a voice hisses at him. Patrick doesn't want to admit to himself that many of the futures he saw was him and Joe, not him and Pete.

Pete gazes at him for a moment before nodding. "Let me take you on a date. But first, you gotta call Joe. I know you guys are close and I don't want to ruin that." Pete says, drumming his fingers on the table. Patrick frowns. He doesn't want to call Joe and listen to him, because he knows his hearts gonna skip a beat and he's gonna start thinking about Joe all over again.

But Pete has a serious look on his face, so Patrick grabs his phone and calls Joe. Joe doesn't answer until the fourth call.

"What." Joe says, voice cold. "You've remembered we're friends?" Patrick winces at his tone, cold and angry. Some friend Patrick is. The fact that Joe's voice is so angry hurts him.

"I'm sorry!" He blurts, upset with himself. "I wanted to talk to you, I did, but then Pete and I talked and I realized I like him and I just forgot!" He did forget to talk to Joe for the past three days, but the days before that weren't because he 'likes' Pete, it's because he just can't allow himself to think about Joe romantically.

Joe's silent for a very long time, and Patrick bites his lip nervously. "Have fun with Pete." Joe says, voice dripping venom. It pierces Patrick's heart and he jerks, like he's actually in physical pain. Joe hangs up without another word, and Patrick can't help but feel he's messed up completely. There's no reason for him to want to date Pete to get Joe out of his head, he could do that just fine without Pete, couldn't he?

Pete gives him a worried look and Patrick glances at him, his heart skipping a beat when Pete takes his hand. He doesn't know what the hell is going on with himself. He's definitely sure he's crushing a bit on Joe, and then there's part of him that likes the idea of liking Pete, but he's not sure he actually likes him.

"He told me to have fun." Patrick says, hurt. Why had Joe sounded so upset? "He sounded so... so angry." Patrick tells Pete, swallowing hard, telling himself he won't let tears appear. Not in public. Pete looks uncomfortable, like he knows something Patrick doesn't. 

"Maybe 'cause you guys haven't talked." Pete suggests, though it doesn't sound entirely truthful. "Maybe give him some time to cool off?" 

Patrick just shrugs and sighs, upset with everything. If only Joe wasn't a beta! Then everything would be different, and he'd be flirting with Joe. But when he looks up and sees Pete looking at him with concern, he thinks that maybe Pete really does care about him, and maybe he can care about Pete.

Pete can tell he's upset so he stands, brushing hair out of his eyes and smiling down at him. "Let's go on a date." Pete jokes lightly, but Patrick can hear the hopefulness behind it. Patrick swallows and nods, pocketing his phone. He can deal with Joe later. He doesn't have to explain anything but he can tell him he's just been caught up in Pete, but Joe's still his best friend. 

Patrick allows Pete to take his hand and thread their fingers together. He's warm, hand calloused, like Joe's, and a little bigger. Patrick shakes the thought of his head and focuses on Pete. Pete's tan skin contrasts beautifully with his, all the tattoos on his arms a stark contrast as well. Patrick likes that, and he wants to look at it for a long time. 

"Where do you wanna go?" Pete asks, stopping them outside the cafe. He swings their hands lightly, and his thumb rubs circles into Patrick's. It feels nice and Patrick can't help the bubbling feeling of warmth and happiness in him. He doesn't want to feel that, but he can't help it.

Patrick thinks, tries to think about what they can do without it being super romantic. Maybe they could just head to the park and talk. "How about a park?" Patrick asks, keeping his eyes down. He doesn't want Pete to find the confusion in his eyes.

Pete nods, and starts dragging him away, talking excitedly. Patrick only listens partly, his mind drifting to Joe sometimes. Would Joe hold his hand as tightly as Pete is holding it? Would it feel as nice? Patrick doesn't want to know or think about it, so he tries to focus on Pete and not stumbling over the fast pace they're set on.

The park is completely empty, and Patrick's glad. At least he can be alone with Pete, and Pete won't do some show of possession. 

Patrick goes over to the empty swing set and sits down, holding on tight. Pete smiles and sits down on the seat next to him, swinging his legs back and forth. "Never too old for swings, right?" Pete asks, a twinkle in his eyes, amusement in his voice. Patrick laughs softly and nods, starting to swing, too.

He hasn't been to the park since before he reached his presenting age, thirteen. Patrick does remember spending hours at the park before then, always loving the swings and the slides. It had been sad when he couldn't go out to some place so public.

"Never too old to slide down the slide?" Patrick asks Pete, eyes flicking to the slide. It's a decent size, made for much smaller people than Patrick, but he thinks he can fit. He's not so big, he can probably fit.

Pete chuckles. "Definitely." Patrick jumps off the swing as it goes back up, landing perfectly and heading over to the slide. As he climbs the play set, he feels nostalgia and longing wash over him. He wishes for nothing more than society to be more accepting of everything, and allow omegas more independence. It just isn't fair that Patrick can't leave the house every day because he's an omega. It's stupid.

Patrick peeks over the play set to see Pete watching him expectantly. The alpha gives him a thumbs up and Patrick grins, pushing himself down the slide. It's over much quicker than he remembered, and it's a little saddening. When he was younger the slide seemed to stretch for miles, now it was just a short little thing. Patrick feels somewhat disappointed that the slide has lost some magic.

He's beckoned close by Pete, whose giving him a look of adoration. "Was it fun?" Pete asks teasingly, cupping his cheek when he comes close. Patrick allows it, just for a moment, Pete's fingers seeming to burn his skin for a moment, before he pulls away.

"Yeah. I might have to do it thirty more times." Patrick jokes, reminiscing. Kids could go at it for hours and hours. 

"I'll wait here, then." Pete tells him, leaning back in the swing, only to fall backwards off of it. He hits the ground and Patrick bursts into laughter. Pete groans and looks up at him from the ground, and Patrick can't stop giggling. He can't believe Pete actually did that. 

He reaches down to pull Pete up, but Pete just drags him down, pulling him off his feet and down onto the ground next to him. "I fall, you're coming down with me!" Pete exclaims, rolling to face him and grin at him, eyes scrunched up and smile too wide. 

Patrick's heart beats faster as he looks at Pete closely, his eyes brown and beautiful. Patrick wants to kiss him, feel his lips soft against his own, or his neck, wants to feel his lips graze across his omega gland, everything. Maybe it's just the heat of the moment or the scent of Pete, he doesn't know, but he finds himself breathless as he looks at Pete.

"You're so gorgeous," Pete breathes, hands twitching. "Absolutely fucking gorgeous." Patrick doesn't agree, but he doesn't say otherwise, he's too breathless to do anything but stare at Pete. Pete doesn't seem to mind, staring right back. The grounds a little damp and there's mulch digging into him, but Patrick wouldn't want to be anywhere else at the moment. "Can I kiss you?" Pete asks suddenly, eyes soft as he looks at Patrick.

Patrick swallows hard, freezing. Pete wants to kiss him? He's not sure how he feels about that but Pete is giving him such a hopeful look, kind softness on his face, and Patrick can't resist that. "Yes." Patrick whispers, toes curling in anticipation. 

Pete brightens and sits up, pulling Patrick into a sitting position too. They're both covered in wet mulch but Pete just brushed it away impatiently. He leans forward slowly, cupping Patrick's cheek. He gives him time to move away, but Patrick doesn't, instead he closes his eyes and waits, heart racing, butterflies in his stomach.

It's soft and gentle, the kiss. Pete doesn't rush anything, he keeps it chaste and slow and Patrick likes it and enjoys it. Pete's hand is warm and large against his face and Patrick likes that too. There's only one problem.

He's thinking about whether or not kissing Joe would be just as nice, or if it would be even nicer than this.


	6. Chapter 6

After they kiss, Pete gives him a look of adoration and helps him up from the ground. Patrick feels warm inside, his lips tingling almost, and he thinks maybe it's because Pete's an alpha. Patrick always feels a little weird around Pete, always feels like he should submit to him and be good. Being kissed only seems to amplify that.

Patrick shakes his head to clear it, and smiles right back at him. "You're great." Pete whispers, staring at him intensely. "I want to take you out on a date every day, give you the best there is all the time." Pete tells him, reaching and threading their hands together. "I can take good care of you." Patrick's heart pounds wildly, and if he didn't know better, he'd think Pete was asking him to be his mate.

That's a silly notion, Patrick's only seventeen, and they've only known each other for about a month. "Maybe not every day. I gotta hang out with Joe sometimes." Patrick tells him. Pete frowns instantly, tensing. "Are you and Joe even friends anymore?" Pete asks, not looking at him. He sounds a little strange and Patrick frowns right back. 

"Of course we are!" Patrick steps back to hug himself. They're definitely friends. Pete looks doubtful and it makes doubt ripple through Patrick. Was Pete onto something? They haven't talked in days and days, besides earlier, when Joe spoke to him coldly. "I mean... We haven't talked but that doesn't mean we're not friends..." Patrick trails off, doubting himself now. Maybe Pete was right.

"Well, if you guys were friends, he would call, right? How come you always have to call him?" Pete's words aren't true, Joe does call him, but he doesn't want Pete to know that he doesn't pick up. He just shifts uncomfortably, looking down. Pete notices his discomfort and puts his arm around him, squeezing tight. "I'll call you every day." Pete promises, something in his eyes Patrick can't place.

Pete's arm falls to his waist and he tugs him close, holding him tightly. Patrick realizes then that it's possessiveness. Patrick doesn't know how to feel about that, about Pete saying he's his. They're not quite dating, not yet, and Patrick tries to squirm away from him, but Pete keeps his arm tight around his waist. 

He stops squirming when another alpha walks by the park, glancing at them, eyes lingering on Patrick. It's the first person they've seen, and Patrick freezes. The alpha continues walking but Patrick's heart beats rapidly. If he hadn't been with Pete, things could have gone bad quickly. 

Pete leans and noses at his neck, moving lower until he finds his omega gland. Patrick stiffens when he breathes in deeply, sensitive. Then he realizes what Pete's trying to do. He really does push Pete away then, sharply, jerking away from him. He's trying to scent him, so he smells like Pete, and that every other alpha will recognize him as being scented by Pete. He doesn't want to... belong to some alpha. He's not property. "Don't." Patrick tells him sharply, 

Pete pulls away, brow furrowed. "I can protect you if I scent you." Pete tells him, trying to reason with him. His voice is warm and sounds a little different, and Patrick feels himself relax. Maybe Pete's right, if he's scented than no other alpha will try and bother him. "We don't have to if you don't want to, babe." 

Patrick wants to tell him that he doesn't want to do it, but he finds himself saying that he wants it. His mind feels the slightest bit fuzzy, and he shakes his head to clear it, but it doesn't seem to help. Pete brightens and brings him over to a bench under the trees, a nice and shady spot. "Here?" Patrick asks, a little surprised. Scenting is supposed to be special.

Pete nods and sits him down. "Mhm. It's nice and private here." Pete tells him quietly. Patrick swallows hard and nods, and scoots closer to Pete. Pete gets on with it quickly, moving to his omega gland and scenting him easily. When he pulls away Patrick can smell it, how it's not his normal strawberries and cream smell, and how it's not Pete's normal coffee and smoky smell, it's a combination of the two, and it's so so sweet that Patrick can't help but like it.

When Patrick looks at Pete he's smiling, his too wide smile. Patrick smiles back, and allows Pete to kiss him softly, a hand on the back of his neck, drawing him in closer. Patrick wonders what he and Joe would smell like. Joe's scent is like chocolate cake, almost. He feels a little guilty for imagining it, but he can't help it. He'll hang out with Joe soon, he promises himself.

"Our scent is amazing." Pete murmurs in his ear, making Patrick shiver. He nods, agreeing. His head feels fuzzy and he mumbles that to Pete. "Maybe your heat is coming soon?" Pete asks in a low voice, placing his hand on Patrick's thigh.

Patrick shakes his head. He's not feeling feverish or shaky, just has a weird feeling in his head. He should obey everything Pete says, he's an omega, Pete's omega. Pete stands and helps him up, concern and something else in his eyes. "Maybe Joe would know." Patrick mumbles, blinking slowly.

"I doubt it." Pete's voice is a little sharper, like he doesn't even like the thought of Joe. "Do you want me to take you home?" Patrick nods slowly and Pete takes his hand. Pete puts his arm around his waist and walks him home, kissing him every so often.

"Can I take you out again?" Pete asks once they're at Patrick's house. He's hopeful, eyes bright. Patrick can't say no to that. When he answers him Pete brightens again, and brings him in for a hug. "You're so great." Pete murmurs. "I'll call you tomorrow. Remember to let Joe cool off and stuff." Patrick nods and leans up to press a kiss to his mouth.

Pete kisses him against the front door and Patrick feels like he needs to keep kissing him, keep making Pete happy. That's what an omega is, someone to make the alpha happy. Once they've kissed for a long enough time, Pete says a sweet goodbye and ushers him inside his home.

Patrick's mother is waiting inside for him, eyes narrowed, arms crossed. Patrick winces inside. "Pete is twenty-two. You're seventeen." She says, clear anger in her voice. Patrick just smiles at her, feeling a little dizzy. "He scented you!" His mother says after a moment, shock in her eyes as she registers the scent. "Why did you let him do that, Patrick?" She demands, rushing forward and looking him over, like she's afraid something happened.

"He's nice and he asked me if he could. He said he'd protect me." Patrick tells her, the fuzzy feeling beginning to fade. 

His mother shakes her head. "They always say that, Patrick. You can't let them do what they want with you, not after just a month of knowing one another!" 

"He's nice!" Patrick protests. "I'll be careful, okay? I'm going to be eighteen in a few months anyways." His mother just sighs and shakes her head again. Patrick figures their discussion is over so he heads upstairs to his room.

He mulls over what his mom said. Pete's older, yeah, but that's okay, he thinks. Sure, it'd be better if he was younger, but he's not, and Patrick can't change that. Patrick curls up in his bed to think. He'll be eighteen in a few months, and then it'll be fine. 

Dating Joe wouldn't be a problem. He's seventeen, too. His mom would hate him for dating a beta though. Everyone would. Patrick doesn't know if he'd be willing to face that. He wonders if Joe would, if he'd stand up against society, cross the boundaries. That would require Joe liking him though, and he definitely doesn't.

Patrick turns over and sighs. He never thought his biggest problem would be dating an alpha to get rid of his feelings for a beta. Everything would be so much easier if he was a beta. Beta relationships were encouraged, because betas couldn't give birth, and only a handful could get omegas pregnant. Beta alpha relationships happened, because alphas can take car of the beta, but beta and omega relationships are so rare, because it's believed betas can't take care of omegas, and omegas belong only to alphas. 

But if Patrick were a beta, he wouldn't have to worry about ruts or heats or anything like that. He wouldn't have to worry about birth control and other things like that. Betas held decent positions in society, not high positions like alphas, but at least they were allowed to go to college and get a job. Only a handful of omegas have jobs. It's considered too dangerous for omegas. 

It's not fair, not at all. Patrick can't change his biology, and he can't even take off the stupid collar around his neck. It's locked, unable to be taken off, and if an alpha were to give an omega a nicer, fancier collar to signify high status, they'd have to go to a special government building. 

Patrick pulls at the collar and huffs, annoyed with himself. He shouldn't be thinking about what could have been when it'll never happen anyhow. Orientations can't be changed. He's annoyed with himself for liking a beta too, annoyed with himself for somehow ending up in a kind of relationship with an alpha. He never wanted either of those things.

He's just going to date Pete and see how it goes. If they break up, they break up. There's no reason they can't still be friends. Patrick wants to call Joe and see what he thinks, but Pete had told him that Joe was probably cooling off. Pete's probably right, he should leave Joe alone for now. He's worried though, because Pete had said they didn't seem like friends anymore.

He's afraid that he's lost his friendship, and that's the last thing that he wants. But Patrick can't work up the courage to call and face his icy tone and anger. Patrick's a bad friend for not calling. Even if he did have a crush on him, he could always ignore it and push past that. He didn't have to be a bad friend and basically ignore him for days.

Instead of feeling happy that he and Pete are kind of dating, he feels troubled and conflicted, worry brewing in him. He wants to trust Pete, wants to badly, but there's still a part of him that's afraid. 

He shouldn't be afraid of the person he's dating. He should trust the completely and like them, but neither of those things are completely true for him at the moment. Patrick just sighs and gets up to change. 

As Patrick looks himself in the mirror, he wonders what will happen when his first heat rolls around. It's bound to be any day now, and he doesn't want to be caught in public or with Pete when it does happen. Patrick wonders what it'll be like. It's probably going to suck. He's learned nothing in school about it, because it's considered dirty to talk about, because omega heats are used for sex and breeding only. 

Patrick knows next to nothing about heats, only that he's going to want an alpha during it, and that he's going to be very fertile. He's worried about it, and he's afraid it's going to hurt. Patrick decides that he'll ask his mom about it soon and see what she says. He's definitely not going to be around Pete when it happens, though.

The omega changes into comfier clothes and sits down on the ground, itching to do something. Even though he just came home from a date he's bored. He wants to get his hands on something and make himself useful. Instead, he's stuck in a stupid room because he can't work or go out by himself. 

Patrick climbs back into his bed and grabs a book that he's read a hundred times and settled back, worry and confusion clouding his mind as he tries to read.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment if you liked it! :-)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Joe calls in the middle of the night.

"Patrick - fuck - Patrick, are you okay?" Joe says in a choked voice over the phone, and Patrick feels like he should be asking that question of Joe. It's three in the morning and Joe's never called at this time of night before and he's never called sounding like this and asking if Patrick's okay.

Patrick opens his mouth to reply but Joe makes a hiccuping noise, and Patrick realizes that he's crying. Honest to God crying. Patrick's never heard him cry. "Joe, what's wrong?" Patrick asks, heart wrenching. He never wants to hear Joe cry like this, it hurts him. "Joe, please tell me, what's wrong?"

Joe just makes that hiccuping noise again, like he's in pain, and Patrick feels fear shoot through him. "Joe, I'm going to come over, let me wake my mom up, okay?" Patrick tells him, mouth moving of its own accord. 

"D-don't, I just had a nightmare, y-you were d-d-dead." Joe stammers out. Patrick sucks in a breath of air, and he pushes the phone closer to his ear. "I j-just needed to know- to know if you were okay." Joe nearly whimpers, voice coming out as a squeak. 

Patrick wants nothing more than to be there, comforting him. If he could be there, he would in a heartbeat. He's considering waking up his mom so she can take him over there, but Joe told him not to. "Oh, Joe. I'm okay, I swear. I'm here." Patrick murmurs softly instead, imagining holding Joe close and comforting him. 

Joe just makes a few wet noises and sniffles, and Patrick's heart aches. "I'm so s-sorry." Joe whimpers. But it's not his fault. Patrick's had bad nightmares before too, he doesn't blame him. If only he could drive! Then he'd definitely be over there in a heart beat.

"It's okay, Joe. I promise. I can come over if you want, it's not a big deal." Patrick tells him, like he's not mildly terrified. Joe just tells him no again and continues to make the hiccuping noises. Patrick soothes him as best he can for a while, until they begin to die down.

"C-can you sing me something?" Joe murmurs, voice shaky, but much less choked. Patrick's exhausted, they've been on the phone for nearly thirty minutes now, but he would stay up for hours more for Joe. He's a little surprised at the request, but he agrees.

He sings Joy Division softly over the phone, aware how rough his voice sounds, how bad it probably is, but Joe doesn't seem to mind. After four songs there's soft, even breathing on Joe's end, and Patrick assumes he's fallen asleep. Patrick hangs up after a soft goodbye to him, yawning as he puts his phone down. 

It seemed so out of character for Joe to call him in the middle of the night like this, even if he did have a nightmare. Even weirder, the nightmare was about losing Patrick. Why would Joe even care to have nightmares about Patrick when they hadn't even talked in days and days? It just seemed so weird to Patrick.

He doesn't care that Joe called him though, he's touched that he thought about him and wanted to know if he was okay. Patrick's just glad that he's all right now. He'll call him in the morning to make sure everything's okay.

Patrick falls back to sleep quickly, but there's still a knot of worry in his gut. The rest of his sleep is restless, and he tosses and turns the rest of the night. He can't stop worrying about Joe.

The next morning, the first thing he does is rub sleep out of his eyes and then pick up his phone to call Joe. He's not sure if Joe's still asleep, but he needs to know if he's okay.

Joe picks up on the fourth ring. "Hello?" He sounds groggy, like he had a bad sleep, and Patrick feels the same. 

"How are you feeling?" Patrick asks, yawning loudly when he hears Joe yawn. "I was worried about you all night." 

"Oh, I'm... okay I guess. I'm so sorry I called you at three in the morning." Joe tells him, sounding regretful. "I shouldn't have done that." Patrick frowns deeply, almost annoyed with Joe. Joe could always call him at any time, he wouldn't mind. Not at all. Even if it were something like a stupid joke, he'd still sit through the call and enjoy Joe.

"It's okay, Joe. I want to see you though, and make sure you're really okay. Plus, we haven't talked in a while or hung out. I miss you." Patrick confesses, feeling a little nervous. Joe hadn't been too happy the last time he called, and he's nervous Joe will reject his offer.

Joe's quiet for a moment, hesitating, before he tells Patrick yes. Patrick feels relief flood through him at Joe's answer. "Sure. Can I just come over to your place?" Joe asks, voice softer. 

"Yeah. Maybe later?" Patrick tells him, glancing at his clock. It's nine in the morning now, and Patrick figures he should clean his room up before Joe comes over. "Maybe two?" 

"That sounds good." Joe says, voice brighter now. "I don't like ignoring you." Joe admits. "I'm glad we're talking again."

Patrick's really glad too. Being ignored by Joe sucked, and he figures he totally deserved it for ignoring Joe. That wasn't his exact intention, he still wanted to be friends with Joe, but he's still kind of afraid that his crush on him will come back and bite him.

They agree on two, and say goodbye. Patrick gets up and stretches, heading to his bathroom to take a shower. He doesn't want to smell or anything when Joe comes over. He showers quickly, and when he gets out, he has two missed calls from Pete and about six texts. Patrick feels his heart quicken, and he begins to worry that somethings happened.

He dresses and calls Pete back, clutching his phone tightly. "Patrick, why don't you answer your phone?" Pete says, annoyed. "Pick up your phone." Patrick feels hot shame flood him for some reason, like he's in trouble. "Do I need to teach you how?"

Patrick feels his stomach tighten. "N-no." Patrick mumbles, keeping his eyes down, like Pete's actually there. He feels bad, why hasn't he heard Pete's calls. "I'm sorry." 

"Just don't do it again. Now, can I take you out later? Around one or two?" Pete asks, voice softer, annoyance gone from his tone. "We can go anywhere you'd like."

Patrick frowns. He promised Joe they'd hang out. "Um, I'm hanging out with Joe at that time, maybe tomorrow?" Patrick asks, hoping Pete's fine with that. 

"What? Since when are you guys friends again?" Pete asks, a hint of anger in his voice. "And you shouldn't be hanging out with him. I'm your alpha, he's just a beta." Pete tells him, disdain in his voice.

Patrick's shocked. Does Pete not like Joe? He thought they were friends. "But me and Joe are just friends!" Patrick protests, frowning deeply. Pete can't tell him who he can and can't be friends with! "Why is it a big deal if I hang out with him?"

"Because I'm your boyfriend, and you should be a good little omega and just obey your alpha." Pete argues, voice growing harsher. "So tell Joe you're busy, because I want to hang out with my omega." 

Patrick feels himself grow hot with anger. Pete isn't someone who can just tell him what to do. He isn't a mindless omega. "You know what, fuck you, Pete. You can't tell me what to do." Patrick says hotly, furious with Pete. He thought Pete had been different enough to treat him with respect, but a day into their relationship and he's already treating Patrick like property. "If you're going to treat me like I'm property, then this is over. Got it?"

Patrick doesn't wait for a response. He hangs up and huffs angrily, drumming his fingers against his thighs. Pete had no right to tell him what to do, and Patrick isn't sticking around if he's an asshole. No way.

He ignores Pete's calls for the next hour and finally he stops trying. Patrick feels triumphant, and he hopes that Pete's thinking about what he's just messed up. Patrick cleans his room and cools off slowly, and then once he's done he waits for Joe.

Joe arrives at two sharp, bright eyed and messy haired when Patrick opens the door to let him in. It's been such a long time that Patrick can't help but throw himself forward and hug him tightly. Joe stiffens, but then wraps his arms around him and hugs back just as tightly. Patrick's missed his best friend.

"Hey, dude." Joe says, looking a little tired, and older than seventeen. It looks like he's aged years and years since they last spoke. "I missed you." Joe admits, scratching nervously at his arm.

Patrick pulls away from him and smiles at him, pulling him in. "I missed you too." They head inside and plop down in the living room couch. Patrick feels the slightest bit nervous that Joe's gonna go back to the icy tone he used once.

"So... What have you been up to?" Joe asks, sounding casual, but Patrick can see faint worry in his eyes. "I was pretty bored not being able to talk to you all the time."

"I went on a date with Pete yesterday." Patrick says, rolling his eyes afterwards. He doesn't even want to think about Pete right now. Joe's eyes widen and flash with something, and Patrick can't help but feel anxious. "He was being cool until he called me earlier."

Joe's tense, Patrick notices, but he doesn't call him out on it. "What happened earlier?" Joe asks casually, a slight frown on his face. 

"Ugh. He called me and told me I couldn't hang out with you because I'm an omega? And he told me I should be good and just listen to him. He's stupid. I'm not doing anything just because he 'commands' me to." Patrick gripes, crossing his arms and huffing. "You kiss a guy once, and suddenly he thinks you guys are mates. It's so stupid."

Joe looks at Patrick intently for a moment, sadness and anger mixed in his eyes. He looks like he knows something Patrick doesn't. "That wasn't right of him. You're special, and you don't deserve to be treated like... Like property." Joe tells him, eyes going soft. Patrick's heart quickens again, like it always does when Joe gives him that soft and gentle look. He's been giving him that look since they first met, and Patrick's always loved it. "I think you should know," Joe starts, shifting uncomfortably. "Pete isn't a good boyfriend. Not that I've dated him," Joe adds hastily. "But I've seen him date. It's not pretty, 'Trick. I just wanted to give you fair warning." 

Patrick's confused. Pete's not a good boyfriend? How could Joe judge that if they hadn't dated before? He knows that Joe and Pete are close, but by the sound of it, they've drifted apart. "What- what makes you say that?" Patrick asks.

"He uses alpha voice." Joe sighs, looking away. Patrick stiffens. Alpha voice was the power alphas had to tell omegas what to do. The power in their voice would go to their head and they would have to obey. Had Pete used alpha voice on him? He thinks back and he remembers, a chill washing over him. Pete had told him that they should be scented and Patrick couldn't refuse. Pete had used alpha voice on Patrick.

Patrick grabs at his hair, worrying. "He told me to do something! We scented!" Patrick whispers, fear spiking him. He doesn't want to be scented, not anymore. "I didn't want it but I agreed!"

"Oh shit, Patrick, I'm so sorry." Joe tells him, sincerity in his eyes and voice. He comes closer o Patrick and takes a hand in his, eyebrows furrowed together. "I know you liked him." Joe mumbles, eyes falling. Patrick searches Joe's eyes when he looks up again, and with a shocking realization, he knows what Joe's been keeping from him.

"You like me." Patrick whispers. Joe's eyes widen and he can see fear in them, and a little relief. Joe nods slowly and squeezes his hand, gripping it for dear life, like he's afraid Patrick will disappear if he lets go.

"Yeah. Since I met you." Joe tells him softly, voice nervous. Patrick wants to laugh, laugh like crazy, because he's dating Pete but he likes Joe and Joe likes him too, and if Patrick was a beta it would be so much easier.

Patrick leans closer, a smile crossing his face. "I like you too." He admits, avoiding Joe's gaze and blushing. "I was afraid because you're a beta... I didn't want society to tell us that it's wrong."

Joe's hand finds his face and Patrick's reminded of when Pete kissed him. Joe's hands are larger, more calloused, but gentle on Patrick's face. Patrick leans into his hand and gazes at Joe. "I wouldn't care." Joe tells him softly, gaze never leaving his. "They can't tell us it's wrong."

"You wouldn't care?" Patrick asks, surprised. He had always thought he would, that he wouldn't want to face society and tell them to leave them alone. "Really?"

Joe doesn't reply. Instead, he leans forward and presses his lips to Patrick's, slow but sure, like it's what he's meant to do. Patrick's shocked by it at first, until he closes his eyes and kisses back.

This feels right, much more so than when he was kissing Pete. 

Patrick's terrified at what it means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment on what you thought, pretty please! :-))


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy!

Joe kisses amazingly.

It's firm and gentle, and he moves a hand to the back of his neck, a nice weight that rests there. Patrick sighs softly and allows himself to be kissed silly.

They break apart naturally and Joe rests his forehead against Patrick's and lets out a breathless laugh. "I'll tell society to fuck off." Joe murmurs, eyes bright, a wide and silly grin spreading across his face. "God, Patrick. I've been wanting to do that." 

"Me too." Patrick laughs, smiling wide too. This doesn't fix everything, though. He's still terrified at what this means. What will happen with him and Pete? He can break up with him, yeah, but Pete's also his friend. He doesn't want to lose that just because of this. And he's scared of what will happen. They can always keep it a secret, Patrick supposes. "How are we going to do this?" 

Joe's quiet, thinking, and Patrick loves that he can see adoration in his eyes. "We'll figure it out. We can date secretly, if you want. I wanna shout it from the roof tops, but I'll keep it quiet." Joe says, placing a hand on his thigh. "We'll get a place together next year, after school and it'll be better." Joe promises, squeezing his thigh lightly.

Patrick smiles, but it fades quickly when he thinks of Pete. "And Pete?" He whispers, frowning. He doesn't want to hurt Pete, but Pete did use alpha voice on him. He's not going to date him over Joe, or whatever. He's got some feelings for him, but the more he thinks about it, the more he knows Joe's right for him.

"We can tell him together." Joe says, reassuring him. "I'll always protect you." He promises, giving Patrick that soft look again. It makes Patrick's toes curl and a shiver run down his spine. He can't help himself when he leans forward and presses his lips clumsily to Joe's. Kissing is still new to him, but it's clear Joe's got experience.

They kiss and kiss and when Patrick finally pulls away, he's breathless, but he keeps reaching for Joe. He doesn't want it to ever end, the way Joe's lips press against his, the way he gently guides him through it. It's the best feeling in the world and Patrick wants it all the time.

"You know, when we met, the first thing I thought was that you were gonna fuck me up." Joe laughs, hand running through Patrick's hair. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen and I remember that I could hardly breathe when I saw you. I was so nervous." 

Patrick laughs and puts his head on Joe's shoulder, taking his hands and threading them together. They fit together perfectly, pale white against slightly darker skin. It's like a shock to his body when they touch, and Patrick shivers again. "I thought you were cute. But I didn't really know I was crushing on you until like... That day we went to eat." Patrick confesses, playing with Joe's hands. "Then I was afraid, because you're a beta and I'm an omega."

Joe falls quiet for a moment, and Patrick can sense the mold changing slightly. "Are you sure you want this?" Joe mumbles, giving him a serious look. "I won't- I won't be able to do things an alpha could do." Joe's voice breaks slightly and he clears it quickly, emotion washing over him. "I can't give you kids. I can't knot you. I can't take care of you like an alpha can." Joe tells him, voice tight. "For the past few months I've been wishing and wishing that I was an alpha, because then I could give you those things."

Patrick looks at him, mouth open, eyes wide, emotion flooding him. "Joe, oh, I don't care. There's other things to fix those things." Patrick tells him, holding his hand and squeezing tightly. "Please don't wish to change." Patrick knows td hypocritical, with all the nights he's wished he was a beta, but this is different. This is Joe, and he doesn't need to be an alpha. 

Joe kisses him again, rougher this time, a hand going to his hair. He tugs lightly and Patrick gasps into his mouth, feeling slightly embarrassed at how he liked the feeling. Joe takes the chance to lick into his mouth, deepening the kiss.

Patrick's never done this before. He's clueless, but it feels great when Joe explores his mouth gently with his tongue. He breaks away gasping as Joe tugs at his hair again. "I don't-" Patrick cuts himself off and squeezes his eyes shut, embarrassed. Joe may be slightly younger than him, but he's definitely much more experienced. Patrick can't even kiss properly.

Joe soothes him, stroking his hair gently. Patrick calms down and takes a deep breath, stopping the shaking he's got going on. "You can sit in my lap if you want." Joe whispers, eyes a little darker than their normal piercing blue. Patrick blushes at the thought, and shrugs. "C'mon. I'll hold you tight." Joe coaxes, and Patrick agrees. It's a nice thought, Patrick on Joe's lap, being held by him.

He's climbs gently into his lap, facing him and hooking his arms around his neck. Joe grabs onto his waist and smiles at him. It's nice, to be in his lap. It makes Patrick feel small and safe, and he likes the feeling. "You can pull my hair too. I love it." Joe murmurs, kissing his jaw. Patrick squeaks when he moves lower and presses a kiss to his omega gland. 

"I-I- I don't-!" Patrick whimpers when Joe gently bites down on the omega gland. He's not even biting, just resting his teeth on his skin, but it still sets him on fire. It burns and hurts, but in the very best way possible. Joe backs off after a moment, eyes dark, and Patrick feels like he's run a marathon.

"Too fast. I'm sorry." Joe apologizes, realizing that Patrick's trembling. "I just got caught up in the moment." Patrick nods, relaxing. He doesn't want to take things fast. He wants to slow everything down and just experience everything with Joe one at a time, not everything in an hour or two. Joe gently moves him off his lap and reaches down to adjust himself. 

Patrick blushes red when he realizes Joe's hard. He's a little hard too, and he fixes himself too. He hadn't even realized, he was too focused on Joe, and he feels ashamed of himself. Joe looks up and seems to notice, because he frowns and looks worried. "What's wrong, 'Trick?" Then his eyes fall to where Patrick's half hard in his jeans and he blushes too. "Um. It happens..." Joe trails off. Patrick feels a little better to see a red blush painting Joe's cheeks too.

It happened so quickly with Joe though. With Pete, he'd never felt like this, never felt so on fire when Pete touched him. Joe's touches and kisses burned him in the best way and made warmth pool low in his stomach. 

Joe avoids Patrick's eyes, still blushing. Patrick feels the same. "You're amazing." Joe tells him after a moment, his lisp more pronounced than Patrick's ever heard it. It's cute, and Patrick can't resist leaning over and kissing him. This time it's chaste and Joe breaks away first.

"When do you want to tell Pete?" Joe murmurs, question in his eyes. "I want to kiss you silly and hold you, but I feel like... It's not fair to Pete? Even if he is a dick, I don't want to help you cheat or something." 

Patrick considers his words. "Now." He says boldly. He wants to kiss Joe and be held by him and all this, the sooner Pete's out of the way, the better. Joe's eyebrows raise but he nods, and beckons Patrick closer. Patrick scoots until he's nearly in his lap and Joe wraps an arm around his shoulders. He grabs his phone and dials Pete's number, nerves spiking him. What if Pete became angry?

Pete answers quickly. "Hey, I'm sorry about earlier, babe." Pete apologizes instantly. Joe winces at the pet name, and Patrick rubs his leg to soothe him. He doesn't want to be anyone's except Joe's. 

"It's okay. I think... Maybe we should break up." Patrick says softly, regret filling him. Maybe he'a made a huge mistake, maybe he's meant to be with Pete, not Joe. But the way just Joe's touch makes him feel has to be right.

"What?" Pete asks, confused. "What do you mean?" Patrick feels bad, but he just has to get it all out. At least they'd only been dating for like, a few days.

Patrick grips Joe's hand and takes a deep breath. "It's not going to work Pete. Not when I care so deeply for someone else. I thought... I thought maybe it'd work, but it just can't. I'm so sorry."

"Who is it?" Pete demands, hurt. "Joe?" He has disbelief in his tone, like Patrick couldn't possibly like someone more than him, that Patrick couldn't possibly be hurting him.

"Yeah. It's Joe." Patrick tells him, voice shaking. "You can't change it, okay? So don't try. I still want to be friends, but I just can't ignore the feelings I have towards Joe.

Pete's quiet before he sighs. "Okay." He sounds crestfallen, and Patrick winces. He hadn't thought Pete would care so much, they were barely dating and it's not like Pete can't find someone much better. "Don't worry about it. Thanks for telling me." He hangs up after that, and Patrick puts down the phone and looks at Joe, a small smile on his face.

"Kiss me." Patrick demands, tilting his head and waiting. Joe doesn't hesitate to comply.

A while later they're in Patrick's room, situated on the bed. They're quiet, cuddling close and kissing gently. It's so nice and Patrick knows that this is the right thing for him, that Joe's the right person for him. It's not illegal to be with him, so fuck society. He's doing what he wants. He's crossing the boundaries people have set, and breaking them. Joe and him have to be meant to be together. Patrick knows it.

Joe's fiddling with Patrick's hands, bringing them up to his mouth to kiss his knuckles and smile at him. "So. Does this mean we're dating?" Joe asks, eyes bright. Joe's silly, of course they're dating.

"I'd hoped the kinda making out downstairs said something about our relationship." Patrick teases, cuddling closer to him. "I don't just make out with anyone."

Joe laughs, soft in his ear, and brings his hand up to cup Patrick's face. "I'm the luckiest dude in the world." Joe breathes as he looks at him. Patrick could get lost in his eyes, and he does. If he could just look into Joe's eyes forever, he would.

"Are we going to tell anyone? Your mom, maybe?" Joe asks, ruffling his hair. Patrick frowns and shrugs. He hadn't actually thought about telling his mom about it. He doesn't know how she would react. "I was going to tell my parents." Joe's parents were an odd couple like them, so Patrick knows his parents would be fine with it. But would his mother? He wants to be with Joe freely, but be also doesn't want to get kicked out of the house.

Joe senses Patrick's worry and soothes a hand down his back. "You don't have to tell her if you don't want to. It can be a secret for now. We have all the time in the world." Patrick's grateful that Joe doesn't mind that he's afraid to say anything.

Patrick lays down and drags Joe down too, cuddling close. Joe's warm, much taller than him, and they fit well together. Joe spoons him, tucking him close, and the soothing feeling Patrick gets from being held makes him sleepy and content. 

Joe's starts up a soft murmur of how amazing Patrick is, and while Patrick doesn't agree with everything he says, the soft murmuring in his ear puts him to sleep quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment on what you thought! :-)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please please leave a comment if you enjoyed! I often feel like I'm just putting this out there and no one quite likes it. Thank you!

It becomes apparent over the following weeks that Joe is the sweetest boyfriend anyone could ask for.

He knows what Patrick needs before Patrick does, it seems, and he never hesitates to do things for him. Patrick always insists that its not necessary, but he always carries on anyways. Joe does everything for him with a smile and an adoring look in his eyes.

Senior year is approaching rapidly and Patrick doesn't want it to begin. He's not going to college, so why bother with his diploma? If he wasn't in school, he could dedicate more time to Joe. He's not sure when he started thinking this way, but he knows it's what he wants. Screw school, he wants Joe, Joe, Joe.

He's head over heels for him. Everyone with eyes can see it, despite them not telling anyone. Patrick's mother gives them strange looks sometimes but other than that, no one seems to suspect a thing. Patrick's very glad about that, but he hates not being able to hold Joe's hand or kiss him in public. That he want, instead of having to hide his affections.

Pete was bitter for the first few weeks, but then he met a cute girl and he's become determined to ask her out. Patrick supports him fully, as does Joe. After that, they're all friends again, and Patrick couldn't be happier about it. The few weeks Pete was bitter really sucked, because Patrick was the music and Pete was the words. Even if they weren't dating, they needed each other.

Patrick looks forward most to days where Joe comes over. Joe coaxes him into his lap and kisses him silly, making Patrick blush red and stammer, embarrassed when he grows hard and whimpers. Joe always seems so smooth and easy when it comes down to things like kissing, and Patrick's worried that his inexperience is childish and stupid. Joe doesn't mind, though.

Joe never minds. Joe never gets angry at him. They talk out all their arguments, and after Joe kisses him sweetly, like he was never annoyed. Patrick sometimes hates that Joe's like that, because sometimes Patrick is such a bitch that he knows he deserves to be yells at. But Joe doesn't do it, he just listens to Patrick bitch before sitting him down and talking to him.

Patrick knows he's getting close to love. It might have been a month or so since they started dating, but he knows. He hates days where he doesn't see Joe, hates going even a few hours without talking to him. He hates when Joe kisses him softly and leaves his house, hates when he wakes up and Joe's not there. He's seventeen but he knows he's maybe in love with Joe. 

He's not sure if Joe feels the same. Sometimes Joe keeps his emotions under lock and key so well, Patrick can't tell what he's thinking. He knows Joe cares, obviously. If he didn't, he wouldn't still be doing everything he can for Patrick. That's at least a bit of reassurance that Joe cares, but Patrick kind of wants Joe to put it plain and simple if he loves Patrick like Patrick's beginning to love him.

They're hanging out one day a week before school starts, kissing lazily on Patrick's bed. Joe's never pushed more than kisses, but Patrick can feel the hot desire in some of them. Maybe soon, but Patrick still feels embarrassed and a little nervous about the whole ordeal. Maybe if it happened, then it wouldn't be so scary.

Joe pulls away from him and kisses his jaw, smiling. "I'm gonna miss you when school starts." Joe tells him, voice dropping to a soft murmur. "I'm used to seeing you almost all day every day." Joe laughs then, right against Patrick's neck, soft and warm. 

Patrick laughs too, but he's aching a bit inside. Now he knows how an omega feels. They're not scented or bonded or mated, but the idea of being away from his beta for so long makes him ache. He needs Joe, and he doesn't want to be without him when the school year starts. He may laugh but he's fretting on the inside.

Joe seems to take a little notice of his worries. "I'll still call you every day, baby." Joe tells him, offering him a smile. "And I'll come over as often as possible." Patrick knows he's being serious, but he also knows that as soon as possible will be limited to weekends. Maybe not even every weekend.

Patrick still aches despite his words. Patrick climbs into his lap and buries his face in his neck, breathing his beta in. "Don't want to be without you." Patrick murmurs, feeling comforted when Joe's arms wrap around him. He's grown needy in the past few weeks, he thinks. He's never wanted to become a typical omega stereotype, needy and dependent, but Patrick kinda feels like that's what he's becoming.

Joe strokes his back and peppers kisses across his forehead. "I don't want to be without you, either." Joe admits, sadness in his voice. "I always want to be with you." Patrick feels warmth spread through him at Joe's words, but the warmth fades pretty quickly when he thinks about Joe not being there.

All he wants is to kiss and cuddle and never let go of Joe. So he leans up and presses his lips to Joe's, a little desperate, like Joe's going to disappear if he stops kissing him. 

Joe reciprocates easily, not as desperate, but there's definitely some want in the kiss. Patrick knows what Joe wants, knows what he himself wants, but is too nervous to admit. But maybe doing it would ease his nerves. "I-I want," Patrick murmurs against his lips, not knowing what else to say. He wants to be good for Joe and give him his entire self. Maybe if they do something, Joe won't forget him when they go back to school. That's what he's afraid of most, Joe leaving and not looking back.

Joe lifts his eyebrows and breaks away from the kiss. "What do you want, 'Trick?" Joe asks, lisp clear, voice a little rough. Patrick shivers, and he can feel himself growing hard. Joe's hands slip from his back down to his ass. He rests them there for a moment before squeezing gently, making Patrick gasp. 

"Um, uh-!" Patrick gasps again when Joe squeezes harder, gripping his ass tightly. "I want you to touch me." Patrick breathes, cheeks growing red hot. He's thought about it before, gotten off on the thought before, even, but he's embarrassed he's admitted it to Joe. The moods changed quickly, going from a little sad to something new. Something Patrick likes.

Joe swallows, and the cool persona he's got on drops instantly. Patrick can see when it does, because instead of cool experience in his eyes, there's nerves and questions. "Okay. I've never, um, I've never done this." Joe confesses to him, blushing like Patrick. 

Patrick's surprised. He's always thought Joe was experienced. The way he kissed was easy and smooth, and he was never really embarrassed to discover he was hard after making out. To hear this is almost music to Patrick's ears. He'd been afraid Joe would make fun of his inexperience.

"Never?" Patrick breathes, still not quite believing him. Joe moves his hands to the front of Patrick's jeans, fumbling with the button, cheeks painted red. 

Joe shakes his head as he gets the button open. "Well. I've gotten a handjob before." Joe says, laughing a little as he tries to get Patrick's jeans down.

Patrick feels hot jealousy flare up in him for some reason. Just the idea of someone touching Joe makes him upset. He knows it's omega hormones messing with him, but he still feels jealous. "Who?" He demand, lifting up and kicking his jeans off. Joe's eyes widen and he lays his hands on his thighs, squeezing them gently. Patrick gasps, electricity sparking through him. 

"Pete." Joe laughs again, like it's the funniest thing in the world. He gave me a handjob after I blew him." Patrick wants to find Pete and snap at him for touching Joe, even if this happened before Patrick and Joe knew each other.

Instead, he just grinds against Joe, whimpering at the contact. "I wanna do that. I wanna do everything with you." Patrick tells him, tilting his head back. "I want to be your everything."

Joe's lips find his omega gland and he kisses there gently. Patrick jolts and digs his nails into his thighs. "You already are." Joe tells him, voice thick with adoration and affection. Patrick feels amazing then, like he's walking on air with how sweet Joe is. 

Joe kisses him hungrily before he seems to realize again that Patrick's grinding and whimpering against him. "I got you, baby." Joe mumbles in his ear, and works his boxers down.

The first touch to his dick makes Patrick whimper embarrassingly loud. Joe doesn't seem to mind, instead he groans and grinds up against his ass. "Oh, fuck." Joe moans softly, wrapping a hand around him. "Fuck, Patrick."

Patrick inhales shakily as Joe starts to stroke him gently, too dry and too fast. Patrick doesn't mind though, he just buried his face in his neck and whimpers, letting Joe take care of him. Joe always said he'd take care of him, this is no exception. "I got you." Joe says shakily. 

Joe strokes him clumsily, breathing heavily and moaning softly when he grinds up against Patrick's ass. All the worry Patrick had has melted away, he's not terrified now that it's happening. Now he wants more, wants to see Joe come undone. He moans softly when Joe strokes faster, and he shudders a moment after.

"One day," Joe breathes, voice dipping low. "One day, I'll fuck you, yeah? You're so pretty, b-be even prettier w-with my dick in your ass." Joe stammers when Patrick grinds down, lisp adorable even in the heat of the moment. Patrick presses his lips to his in agreement. He wants that, he wants that as more. He wants to be bonded to Joe, wants to be his mate. He wants Joe to always be with him.

He's going to cum, he realizes, and so he warns Joe of this, breathing hard and whimpering. He's never felt so on fire, never felt his heart beat so wildly, Joe nods and kisses his jaw softly. "C'mon, babe. Let go." Joe mumbles, and Patrick does, coming apart in Joe's arms.

It's the first time he's cum by someone else's hand, and it feels amazing. Warmth spreads through him and he cums into Joe's hand, hiccuping with how good it is. Joe lets out a long groan, grinding up against his ass and he kisses him messily, stroking until Patrick's whimpering for him to stop because it's too much. 

It's not until he comes down from his high that he realizes that Joe's cum too. Joe's red in the face and he swallows hard, looking a little embarrassed at the fact the he came in his pants. "Fuck.didnJoe says, voice rough. Patrick agrees. 

"That was great." Patrick murmurs, trembling a little all over. He just feels great all over, warm and content. Patrick wonders faintly what actual sex will be like, and shakes it away. Not now, but maybe sometime in the future. Joe kisses him again, clumsily and then he laughs against his lips and wipes his hand on Patrick's forgotten jeans. "Gross!" Patrick exclaims, wrinkling his nose.

Joe laughs again, smiling right against his neck. Patrick loves it, and he thinks he loves him. "Hey, I just came in my pants, it's only fair." Joe tells him, a smile and a giggle in his voice. Patrick kisses him again, unable to resist. Joe holds him close, hands on his thighs and squeezing gently.

Patrick's never felt so happy. Joe holds him close and begins to pepper kisses all over his face, soft and sweet as he holds him. Patrick never wants to let go, not when they won't be able to do this in a week or so. 

Patrick really doesn't want to go to school.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

"Hey you. It's like two in the morning." Joe laughs softly on the other end of the phone, sounding tired. Patrick feels bad for calling the night before school starts, but he's been stressing all night, ever since Joe left Patrick's house.

Patrick manages a soft laugh. "I'm sorry." And he really is. Joe should be asleep so he's bright eyed and ready for school. "I just can't sleep." He admits, tugging his blankets closer.

Joe hums softly. "Yeah? Wanna talk?" Joe asks him, far too sweetly for someone who has been woken up at two in the morning. Patrick hugs himself and wishes that he could talk to Joe face to face.

"I wish you were here." Patrick tells him, voicing his thoughts. Joe goes quiet and Patrick blinks sleep away. He's going to be exhausted in the morning. 

"Want to go out?" Joe asks suddenly, voice brightening. Patrick raises his eyebrows in surprise. Out? Joe's crazy, but Patrick likes the idea. His heart aches with how badly he wants to be with Joe. It's like they've bonded somehow without knowing. If Patrick didn't know better, he'd think they were.

It's a stranger thing to be bonded, Patrick knows. People say you can feel your mates emotions. Hear their thoughts. "You gonna pick me up?" Patrick asks softly, pushing his thoughts away. He can sneak out, and school doesn't really matter. If it comes down to it, he can skip it. 

"Yeah. Let me get ready. I'll text you when I'm there." Joe tells him. "See you." Patrick says the same to him and hangs up. He laughs to himself at the whole situation. Joe's picking him up in the middle of the night so they can roam around. His mother will kill him if she finds out.

But he finds himself not caring. With Joe, he feels unstoppable, like he can easily do the hardest tasks in the world. So he changes and sits on his bed, holding his phone close to him. 

Patrick sneaks downstairs when Joe says that he's arrived. He stops and listens for his mom but it's all quiet, and he slips out the back door. He feels free. Patrick runs to the front, laughing softly to himself when he sees Joe parked out front.

"You're crazy." Joe tells him when Patrick climbs into his car. His cheeks are pink and his eyes red and tired, but he smiles so widely. "Let's go on an adventure. Fuck school." Joe tells him, starting up the engine. He pauses before he goes though, leaning over and kissing Patrick.

Patrick smiles when Joe away from the kiss. His hair is messy, and he looks so tired, but he also looks like he really does want to be where he is. "An adventure." Patrick agrees, leaning back in his seat. He doesn't care who spots them or if his mom finds out. Right now he's considering not even going home in the morning. Because it doesn't matter as long as he's got Joe. 

They drive and drive until they reach Chicago. Patrick's fallen asleep and when he wakes up, it's still dark and Joe's still smiling softly to himself as he drives, tapping the wheel. A bit later they pull into a little all night diner. "Breakfast?" Joe asks, parking the car and giving Patrick an adoring look.

"Breakfast." Patrick agrees, and gets out of the car. Joe takes his hand and kisses his knuckles, smiling at him and threading their fingers together as they walk in. He doesn't drop his hand when he tells the sleepy eyed beta waitress a table for two, and that in itself makes Patrick's head spin with happiness.

They sit down at a booth across from each other, and Patrick is so in love. Who else would take him to Chicago in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep? "I've been thinking." Patrick starts, drumming his fingers across the table. "Maybe I won't go back for senior year."

Joe doesn't gasp or look scandalized or anything else. He just nods and looks at him, waiting for him to continue. "I just. There's no point, right? I'm not going to college, I'm an omega." Patrick says, feeling bitter about it. "I could always do other things... And I could be there for you..."

"Why don't you go to college? Prove them all wrong, Patrick. Omegas can go to college. I believe in you." Joe tells him, holding his hand tightly. "You're not stupid because you're an omega. You're the smartest person I've ever known, and if you want to go to college, you should." Joe squeezes his hand tightly and looks at him with such fierce determination. "After this year, me and you, we're gonna get an apartment together. And we're gonna go to college together. I know you can do it."

No one has ever said this to Patrick. No one ever says it to omegas. A few odd omegas through out the past hundred years have gone to college, but not anymore. Alpha society has gotten so aggressive and demanding of omegas to stay at home. "I can do it?" Patrick says aloud, wonderingly. Can he? He's not the smartest, yeah, but maybe he can.

"Yes, baby. I know you can. I believe in you, too. I know you can do it. And I'm going to be there with you every step of the way." Joe tells him, squeezing his hand so hard Patrick's almost afraid it'll break. 

Patrick starts thinking, thoughts swirling through his head. College. College with Joe. A college degree and a job and making his mother and Joe proud and crossing the boundaries. That's when he knows. He's not going to just cross the boundaries. He's going to push them until they break, until things are better. That's what omegas deserve. He just needs to be brave enough to step up and challenge alphas. Even if it doesn't work, he can at least say that he's tried.

Joe doesn't seem to notice the storm in Patrick's head, and he orders a dish for Patrick that he thinks Patrick will love. Patrick sits there with his storm of thoughts. "You okay in there?" Joe asks eventually, a smile in his eyes. Patrick nods slowly. He's okay. He knows he's going to be okay. And he's going to make things better for all omegas.

He's going to make things change for the better.

They eat and Joe pays, and Patrick allows himself to be lead out of the diner. He's still lost in his thoughts. He snaps out of it when Joe drops his hand down to his waist, pulling him close as a sleepy looking alpha makes his way into the diner. Patrick looks up at Joe, and he looks tired but happy. Patrick loves him, loves him for taking him out when he couldn't sleep and telling him he believed in Patrick. No one says they believe in omegas. 

Patrick stops them when they get to his car, and he presses Joe against his van with his body, desperate for his touch, suddenly. Joe looks surprised, but he drops his hands down to his waist, letting Patrick press himself against Joe. "I love you." Patrick says seriously, not even thinking. He doesn't have to think. He knows he loves him, and he knows Joe loves him. He's not afraid of Joe saying he doesn't feel the same. Because he knows.

Joe's eyes light up brighter than Patrick's ever seen, and he gives him the softest look, too. "I love you, too." Joe whispers, cupping his face and leaning down to kiss him. It's sweet and soft and the best kiss yet. "Let's get you home. We have college to look forward to, right?"

A few hours later Patrick's in his first period class, exhausted, but smiling to himself. He's going to make Joe proud. He's going to change every thing alphas think about omegas. He's gonna prove them all wrong. Being with Joe makes him feel like he can do anything in the world, even if he can't.

If he can make it through senior year, surely he can make it through college? Patrick tells himself to make sure to take the hardest classes he can to challenge himself. Maybe that was why school was so boring, because he took the easiest classes. All omegas did. 

Patrick just drums his fingers on the desk he's sitting at and looks down at his phone. A text from Joe. Patrick opens his phone up to check it, smiling to himself.

you know what I said abt college earlier forget it 

i just wanna be in bed with you and just be cuddling not listening to this teacher

Patrick laughs softly to himself. Despite all his thoughts, he does want to be in his warm bed with Joe tucked behind him, their legs tangled together, Joe whispering things in his ear. He sends a quick text back about how he wants that too, before his teacher walks in.

She's an omega with bright blue eyes like Joe's, but instead of curly dark hair there's sleek, long blonde hair. Her eyes scan the class and she smiles at them. "I'm Mrs. Stacks. I'll be your calculus teacher." Mrs. Stacks introduces herself. "Now, I'll be going over the syllabus today."

Mrs. Stacks passes out papers and Patrick scans over it. Typical syllabus. He doesn't care much for it, instead, he zones out as she's talking and thinking about Joe and college instead. Calculus isn't something he needs to change society, is it? 

"So, Patrick. What do we need for this class?" Mrs. Stacks says suddenly, eyes on him. Patrick snaps out if it and stammers out something stupid. A few people giggle and a few roll their eyes. "I know all you guys do is think about your alphas, but try to refrain from doing so in this class, thank you." She says, moving her eyes from Patrick and glancing around the classroom. "Save it for later."

Patrick blushes red and sinks down in his seat. Of course this would happen to him on the first day school. He's fairly certain other students were zoning out, so why had he been picked on?

He makes sure to pay careful attention to everything else she says so it doesn't happen again. She doesn't call him out again and the class ends rather quickly.

The day goes by slowly after that. School is boring, his teachers are boring, and his classes are boring. Joe is much more fun than school. His mind starts to drift back to not wanting to go to school, not caring, but then he shakes himself out of that mindset. Joe said Patrick could do it, and Patrick's gonna believe him.

Lunch is, to say the least, annoying. Patrick sits down by himself at a lunch table that's filled up by giggling sophomores soon enough. They're talking about their alphas, and Patrick feels worry twist in him when he realizes none of them mention a beta date mate. He thought it was somewhat more common, but apparently not, if everyone at his stupid school talked exclusively about alphas.

The girls giggle to themselves and Patrick feels annoyed. He wants to talk about Joe freely, but he doesn't want to face backlash. That's the last thing he wants right now. So he endures it, and endures the rest of the school day. When he leaves school he thinks grimly to himself that that's one day down, many more to go.

At least he has Joe to talk to during the school year. They'd texted a bit during the day, and Patrick felt warm and happy every time he read something Joe sent him. 

So the school year isn't going to be complete shit, but it's not going to be the most fun thing ever. It's school, after all, Patrick shouldn't have expected everything to have magically changed now that he wants to go to college. He's not sure who to bring it up to first. His mother, the counsellors at school, who? Who could help go on an impossible journey? Joe would be there emotionally, but would colleges even accept him?

Patrick knows he doesn't want to be turned down by a bunch of colleges because he's an omega. But he has to try. He's done with being satisfied with the results and sitting back, now he's going to push further. 

Patrick is going to go to college.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please leave a comment on what you thought! :-)


	11. Chapter 11

"And so- as the first omega to go to college in over twenty years in Illinois, I am proud to represent omegas and I plan to bring change in this world. Thank you."

Patrick finishes his speech with pink cheeks and his heart racing. A year ago, he hadn't thought much of high school, let alone college. He'd wanted to skip senior year, because there hadn't been any point. But now, now there's a point. 

Joe is in one of the front rows, beaming at him from next to Pete and his mother. Joe's been his lifeline this year, helping him with hard classes he didn't quite understand. His mother has supported him too. Originally she had rejected the idea of college, but had been convinced by Patrick and Joe.

Patrick walks to his principal, shaking her hand and receiving his diploma. He's graduated top of his class. There wasn't much competition, granted, because senior year was when omegas stopped caring, when they started only caring about finding an alpha to settle down with.

Patrick's glad he hasn't been like that. He smiles to himself and heads back to his seat and settles back in his seat, beginning to listen to all the names called.

An hour and a hundred omegas later, they're all cheering as their names are called. They're the hundred odd omegas who have stuck to school despite many others dropping out. They deserve this, Patrick thinks.

His mother finds him after and hugs him close, beaming. "I'm so proud of you, Rick!" She exclaims, kissing his head. Patrick beams back up at her, clutching his diploma right. Joe appears a moment later, tugging Pete along.

Patrick wants to kiss him so badly, and he can tell from the burning look in his eyes that Joe wants to as well. They haven't been exactly open with Patrick's mom about their relationship though. Patrick's told her everything, about wanting to go to college and then being accepted to college, how he's going to room with Joe, but the one thing he hasn't told her is that he and Joe have been dating for about ten months.

Joe just tugs him into a hug, squeezing him tight, and when he pulls away, Pete does the same. "My little 'Trick, all grown up!" Pete laughs, hugging him tightly. After he got over the whole dating thing, Pete and Patrick got really close. Patrick doesn't have any trouble reading Pete's thoughts now.

"Oh, honey, we need to go celebrate!" His mom says, tugging them all along. Pete smiles and cranks up the charm when Patrick sends out a silent plea. He wants to celebrate with his mom, yes, but right now, he really wants to make out with Joe.

Pete taps his mom's shoulder and engages her in conversation. "I think Joe and I are gonna go grab something to eat." Patrick says, and his mother just nods, still talking to Pete about Patrick. Joe laughs and grabs Patrick's hand, dragging him along. Patrick laughs too, feeling so carefree.

Joe takes him to the apartment he now has, a kinda shitty place next to their new university, New Trier. He pulls him inside and pushes him against the apartment door, kissing him stupid. It's been a while since they've been able to kiss quite like this, until Patrick's gasping for breath and whining.

"Oh, fuck, baby. I love you, and I'm so proud of you." Joes murmurs against his neck. "God, I'm gonna make you mine soon." Joe pushes a leg between Patrick's and pushes, and Patrick can't help but whimper.

They've never had sex. They've given each other handjobs and blowjobs, and Patrick's discovered how much of an oral fixation he has. It's pretty great, honestly. But they've never actually had actual sex. Patrick's looking forward to it.

Joe kisses him again and pulls away, dragging him away to his bedroom. Their bedroom, Patrick thinks with dizzying happiness. Patrick's glad Joe graduated two weeks earlier than his school, so everything's already set up.

Patrick gets pushed down onto their bed, a little roughly, and Patrick can see how lost Joe is. He knows alphas easily get caught up in lust, and now Patrick thinks betas can too. Joe leans over and kisses up and down his neck, lingering over his omega gland.

He whimpers, and tilts his neck for more kisses. If only Joe would just mark him and claim him, if only they could just bond already. Patrick wants it so badly he can hardly think. Joe sucks gently at that spot on his neck, making electricity shoot through him. 

Joe pushes his shirt up and over his head, kissing at the pale skin that's revealed. "I'm so proud of you. I knew you could do it." Joe murmurs against his skin. "Now we'll be able to move in together. We'll be mates." Joe whispers against his skin, finding his hand and threading theirs together. 

"I love you." Patrick breathes, arching up as Joe kisses his nipple. "So damn much. Couldn't have made it without you." Patrick tells him, tugging lightly on his hair. Joe groans, and he pulls away after a moment. Joe leans and rummages through the bedside drawer, pulling out a brand new bottle of lube and a condom.

At Patrick's wide eyes, Joe gives him a sheepish look. "I may or may not have been planning this." Joe tells him, cheeks pink. It reminds Patrick that Joe's never done this either, that this is new to him too. "I was um, thinking that like- well. I could fuck you?" Joe asks, nervous and cute.

Patrick moans softly at the thought. "Fuck, finally. Please?" Patrick asks, eyes wide as he looks up at Joe. He's been waiting for this. Joe's just so sweet and careful with him, every time they make out Joe handles him like he's a porcelain vase. It's nice, but sometimes Patrick wants to be held down and be hurt. He doesn't know what it means, but he's sure they can explore it later.

Joe nods, bright blue eyes darkening a little. He's trembling a little, and Patrick notices. He's a little confused as to why Joe's trembling, so he brings him down into a kiss. "What's wrong?" He murmurs against his lips, and he feels alarmed when there's wet tears on his cheeks.

"I-I'm just... so happy!" Joe confesses, wiping his tears away and laughing. "I don't care what anyone says about us, you know? I feel on top of the world with you." Patrick laughs too, and brings him close to pepper kisses all over his face. Joe's ridiculously sweet, and Patrick loves him for it.

"So... how about you fuck me?" Patrick asks, tugging on the hem of Joe's shirt. He feels much too naked with Joe much too dressed. Joe laughs again and fumbles with the button on Patrick's jeans before he tugs them away, and then he undresses himself. He's the slightest bit tan and all lean, a few tattoos on his skin. Patrick's toes curl and he wants to trace all of them, spend hours connecting them together with his fingers. One day.

Once Joe's undressed, Patrick sits up and bats his hands away from his dick. He's long, longer than the beta average. He has a nice dick. Patrick tugs away his own boxers and blushes a little. Compared to Joe, his omega dick is tiny. It's always been a spot of embarrassment for him, but Joe's never said anything.

Joe wraps a hand around him and strokes him softly, dry, and Patrick whines at the dryness of it. Joe lights up and grabs the lube, popping the cap and clumsily coating his fingers in it. "Umm, how many?"

"One." Patrick tells him, settling back to where he's comfy and spreads his legs. It feels slutty, and he feels giggly because of it, high off the fact that this is happening. Joe bites his lip and pushes a long finger into Patrick slowly. Patrick gasps and stills, tensing around his finger. He's done this to himself, many times before, but Joe's hands are so much bigger that it feels like a whole new thing.

Joe's other hand rests on his thigh, large and firm. Patrick likes it, likes that he's got big hands. He can hold him down easy that way. Patrick feels giddy, because he knows this is going to be good, and maybe, just maybe, they'll mate.

Patrick takes a few deep breaths and adjusts to the burning, delicious feel of it. He's an omega, so lube isn't as necessary, but he's glad that Joe's started with lube. Patrick can feel slick beginning to trickle out of hole, and he knows that he won't have any trouble taking Joe. Omegas are meant to take cock, Patrick thinks hazily. He believes so greatly in omega rights and wants to change the world, but in the bedroom, he can't change the fact that he feels submissive, can't change the fact that he's an omega.

Joe strokes his thigh gently before he slowly pushes another finger into Patrick, smiling down at him. "You're beautiful." Joe tells him, love in his eyes. Patrick shakes his head and gasps when he brushes across the bundle of nerves that lights him on fire. "There?" Joe whispers, eyes dark and careful.

Patrick nods frantically and Joe clumsily pushes another into Patrick, stretching him out easily. Patrick whines and his hands scrabble to his shoulders, digging his nails into Joe. Joe hisses and drops his head, leaning close to Patrick and kissing him messily. Patrick's going to do more things that make Joe proud, especially if it leads to sex every time.

Joe opens him up and after a few minutes, Patrick knows he's ready. He's leaking slick steadily, and he spreads his legs wider, whimpering. "Please. Joe, please fuck me." Patrick whimpers out, looking up at Joe with pleading eyes. He needs it so badly, needs it like he's never needed anything before. He's so hard too, and he knows that he's not going to last.

Joe looks like he's in the same boat, if his teeth digging into his lip says anything. "Fuck- okay." Joe tells him, and he grabs the condom, tearing it open. With shaky hands he rolls it on himself, stroking himself and letting out a groan. 

"Don't- don't fucking cum, you dick!" Patrick exclaims, as Joe grits his teeth and bucks up into his own hand. Joe looks at him a moment later, blue eyes darker than Patrick's ever seen. He nods and swallows hard, moving his hands from his dick to Patrick's hips. 

"Okay." Joe breathes, and helps Patrick wrap his legs around his waist. "Okay." Joe grabs his dick and lines up slowly, then pushes in gently, eyes locked with Patrick's. The first inch has them both groaning, and Joe pushes in steadily, face screwed up in concentration. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Joe whispers when he bottoms out, dropping his head to rest against Patrick's forehead.

Patrick feels like he's on fire with how much he burns. He feels so full, so complete, and so content. He wants to feel like this always, and there's a haze of lust and submission in his head. He can be like this always for his beta, can always make him happy like this. "Joe." Patrick murmurs, feeling drunk. "I-I'm-!" He's going to cum far too quickly.

"I know, fuck!" Joe answers, groaning when Patrick clenches around him. "I'm not going to either." He pants, kissing Patrick messily. Patrick wraps his legs around Joe with some trouble, and Patrick feels like he can't breathe with how good it is.

Joe pulls back and thrusts into him export mentally, and Patrick moans long and loud. Joe does it again, and continues to do it, clumsy and without rhythm, but Patrick cums a few minutes later, shouting Joe's name, tears streaming down his cheeks. Joe follows not long after, groaning into Patrick's neck, buried deep in him. Patrick's not even embarrassed he only lasted a few minutes, because it's their first time, not only together, but ever. 

Patrick closes his eyes and feels like he's half-asleep. When Joe pulls out he whimpers at the loss, feeling weird about it. He doesn't like it, he hates that now that Joe's not filling him up he's empty and bare. It's the worst feeling, and he reaches down to push two fingers into himself. 

"Don't." Joe breathes, watching Patrick. "I can't get hard again." Patrick whimpers but pulls his fingers out. He'll do what Joe says, even if he's not trying to get him hard again. Patrick curls up on his side and watches Joe dispose of the condom and clean himself up before he settles down next to Patrick.

Joe kisses him gently and tugs him close, and Patrick almost feels like crying. He does start crying a moment later, too full of emotion. He's Joe's, only Joe's, and soon the world will know it. "I l-love you." Patrick hiccups, turning over and burrowing into Joe's chest.

"I love you, too." Joe whispers, kissing his head. "Go to sleep, Patrick. I'll always be here."

Patrick does, wrapped up in Joe's arms, tears drying in his face, and an intense feeling in his head and chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! :-) this chapter was mostly just smut, and more stuff happens next chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, schools back up again so I've been super busy! I'll try to update more regularly, like once a week!

It's late when Patrick wakes up, smothered by Joe. 

Joe's naked against his back, face smooshed against Patrick's neck. His legs reach far past Patrick's and his arms hold him tightly. It's a nice feeling, being held so tightly. Patrick never wants to leave this position. He feels so safe like this, with Joe holding him so tightly.

A phone sounds, and Patrick blinks In surprise. His phone. His mom is probably wondering where he is. Patrick begins to wriggle away from Joe, trying to not wake him up and allow him to sleep some more. But Joe only holds on tighter, mumbling incoherent words in his sleep. It's cute and Patrick has to bite his lip to keep from giggling. Patrick catches his name amongst the mumbling, and he fills complete love towards Joe in that moment.

He struggles some more, yanking himself away from the sight of Joe, and finally yanks himself free. Joe doesn't stay asleep though, he whines and blinks awake, looking dazed and confused, like something was stolen from him. Patrick ignores him for now and grabs his phone, wincing as he sees missed calls and texts from his mom. She's going to be pissed.

Patrick calls her, and Joe makes grabby hands at him, eyes half closed. Patrick laughs softly and kisses Joe's head before he pulls away as his mother answers. "Patrick! Where have you been?" She sounds worried, and a little angry, like she's upset he didn't answer her calls. Patrick just hopes she doesn't blow up and demand he come home.

"I- um. I fell asleep at Joe's, sorry mom." He tells her, apologetic. Patrick isn't sure when he's going to be able to work up the courage to tell her about him and Joe, but it has to be soon. If he and Joe mate, it'll be clear that he's claimed, what with the bite mark on his neck and the scents of Joe. He doesn't want his mother thinking its someone else, or someone he doesn't even know, like someone he had a one night stand with or something. She deserves to know, anyways. He's never kept secrets from her before, and keeping him and Joe a secret for ten months is really wearing on him.

His mother let's out a breath of relief. "Okay, honey. It's late, so you should spend the night there. Get used to rooming together." She laughs. Patrick laughs too, more forced than anything, too worried about the situation to give a real one. "Call me tomorrow. Love you." His mother tells him. Patrick repeats it back to her and when she ends the call, he directs his attention back to Joe.

He's sprawled across the bed, covers kicked away and tangled at the end of the bed. Joe's all lean and lanky, hair trailing down his stomach and down to his cock. He's so much different than Patrick, whose short and pale, chubby too, freckled instead of hairy. Patrick licks his lips and well... He wants to suck him off. Later. Joe opens his eyes when Patrick brushes a hand through his hair, smiling down at him. "Hey." Patrick says softly. Joe smiles up at him sleepily, and Patrick leans over to kiss him.

Their sleep schedule is going to be all messed up, Patrick thinks. It's already nearing eight pm, and they slept for quite a while. At least they'll have to get used to late nights when college starts. 

Just as he moves to get up, Joe tugs him down and wraps his arms around him, grinning. "Hey." He says back, nuzzling at his omega gland, nipping gently. It sends fire through Patrick and he shudders, but he doesn't pull away. "I wanna mate with you." Joe mumbles sleepily. "Wanna make you mine, show the whole damn world. I feel like I can do anything when I look at you." 

Patrick smiles softly, touched. Joe has the tendency to say the sweetest things out of nowhere, and he's really a champ at it. Patrick tries to reciprocate, but it always comes out a stuttering, blushing mess. "I want to be yours." Patrick says instead of saying something equally sweet back. And he does, he wants to be Joe's so badly that it literally aches.

"Soon, babe." Joe murmurs in his ear. He kisses his forehead and then yawns, clearly still sleepy. Patrick wants to tell him to go back to sleep, but at the same time, he wants to be awake and be able to talk to him. "We're up now, so what do you wanna do?" Joe asks him, shifting them around until they're sitting up. 

Patrick shrugs. He really just wants to lay with Joe and talk maybe, just relax completely. They have a whole life ahead of them, they can do everything else in the future. "Cuddle." Patrick suggests, working his way back into Joe's arms. Joe chuckles and hugs him close, pulling Patrick into his lap. Patrick loves this, loves just being held by Joe. "Good. We can just talk." 

"Sounds good to me. What about?" Joe asks, settling back and beginning to rub circles into Patrick's back. Patrick sighs happy at the feeling, laying his head on Joe's shoulder. "Oh, I know. How about our future?"

Patrick laughs, a bit confused. "What about it?"

"Like...What's after college? A house? Dogs? Kids?" Joe asks, wonder in his tone, like he can't really believe those things will happen, like it's all a dream. "I want those things with you, Patrick. Do you want them?"

Patrick nods, pulling back to look Joe in the eyes seriously. "Of course I do." Patrick would be crazy to not want those things, he thinks. Maybe not right after college, maybe in the distant years after, but it sounds very nice to him, having a home and kids, dogs too.

Joe gives him a sad little smile. "I can give you anything in the world except kids." Joe says regretfully, looking away and looking like he's beating himself up inside over something. "Everyday I wish I was an alpha, so I could give you them and more. So I could care for you properly." Joe admits, voice soft and lisp pronounced. "I'm sorry that I can't."

Patrick frowns at him, upset with what Joe's saying. He doesn't want Joe as an alpha, he wants him just the way he is, as the beta he fell in love with. "Fuck, Joe... You already take care of me. Who got me through this past school year? You! And I love you and that's not gonna change. You don't have to knot me to mate with me, and we can figure kids out in the future. I want you, Joe." Patrick tells him, passionate about what he's saying. 

Joe looks up and his eyes are a little watery, and Patrick presses his lips to his, a little desperate with the kids. He wants Joe to know how much he loves him. "Mate with me." Patrick blurts when they pull away, gasping for air, thoughts a mess. "Do it. Bond with me. I love you." Patrick tells him, feeling his heart ache for it. He knows this is right, can feel it in his bones how right it is. He might be eighteen, but an omega knows when they've met their soulmate. 

"Your mom?" Joe asks, looking shocked, eyes wide. "Patrick, I don't know, this is huge, like... I feel like we should tell her, and we're only eighteen, what if you change your mind or something?" 

Patrick shakes his head. "After. After, Joe. I'm yours and your mine, why can't we let the world know? Why would it be so bad? Why would I change my mind when I have you?" Patrick asks softly, cupping Joe's face. Joe looks at him with complete love and adoration in his eyes, and Patrick knows he looks the same.

"Okay." Joe whispers. "Okay." 

They kiss again, soft and gentle this time, and Joe rolls them over, pushing Patrick against the bed gently. They have all the time in the world. Patrick feels like he's on top of the world when Joe kisses him like this, like he's the air Joe needs. His heart is pounding in anticipation for this, for their bonding, and he doesn't care what everyone else will say, not one bit.

Joe kisses down his neck, stopping at his omega gland and kissing gently. Just small kisses light him on fire, and Joe murmurs loving words against his skin as Patrick gasps. He knows that when Joe bites and seals the mark, it's going to hurt. People always say it doesn't hurt, that it's sweet and gentle, but Patrick knows better than that. 

"It's going to hurt, love." Joe murmurs, honest with him Patrick's thankful for that. "Hold my hand." Patrick fumbles for his hand, threading their fingers together and squeezing tightly. He closes his eyes, giving his complete trust to Joe. Joe will take care of him, he knows that he will, now and forever.

It does hurt. It hurts worse than anything Patrick's ever felt. Joe biting down hard makes him cry out loudly and tighten the hold he has on his hand, his back arching up. It's like fire in his veins, and for a moment, he can hear all of Joe's thoughts, all the words swirling in his mind and every little thing he feels, fear and love being the most prominent.

When Joe pulls off he kisses the mark he's made over and over, sealing it in his skin, making it forever, and Patrick feels dizzy, like he's about to pass out. Joe pulls back to admire his work after a few minutes of soothing the bite, and Patrick can't find his tongue to say how he's feeling.

"Bite me, now." Joe tells him, turning them over, balancing Patrick with his hands on his hips. Patrick feels dazed but he nods, leaning over to kiss Joe's neck. He bites down hard and Joe groans in pain, tightening the hold e has on Pa's hips, squeezing tightly. Patrick does what Joe did, kissing the bite mark to seal it, and once it's there, a shock of fire hits him.

Patrick cries out again and Joe does too, both of them in agony for a few moments before it passes. In its place comes searing hot love, and Patrick knows that this is Joe's love. "Oh." Joe whispers, closing his eyes and laying back. 

He can feel it, the bond. Patrick knows that it's set in stone now, that he's Joe's and Joe is his. It feels weird, being able to faintly feel what Joe is feeling.

Patrick passes out after that, collapsing on Joe, overwhelmed by everything and still dazed from the pain.

\--

He comes to a while later, and there's a dull ache near his omega gland. The first thing Patrick sees is Joe, worried blue eyes peering down at him. 

"You're awake." Joe sighs in relief. "I looked it up and it said most omegas pass out after, but I was so worried." Joe tells him, eyebrows drawn together, eyes wide. Patrick knows it's genuine. He can faintly feel his worry, how it gnaws at him. It's weird and completely surprising, despite what Patrick knows about bonding. 

Patrick blinks a few times, unable to shake the funny feeling. "You're surprised." Joe says, watching him closely, like he'll pass out again, or that Patrick will disappear if he looks away. 

"You're surprised, too." Patrick slurs, looking up at him. Joe blinks at him and then nods. It's definitely going to take some time to get used to being able to feel Joe's emotions. 

"Yeah. It's faint, though." Joe's right about that too. Patrick can feel his emotions, but not extremely well. "Apparently it gets much stronger with time." Joe explains, stroking his hair softly. "And... We're gonna have to tell your mom. It's pretty clear your claimed, now. I scented you too, you smell like... Us." Joe adds sheepishly, rubbing at the mark on his own neck. "Now people will know that we're together."

Patrick smiles lazily up at him, happy with that. "Good. The world should know I'm Joe Trohman's mate." Joe laughs and kisses him gently, and Patrick has never been happier. He closes his eyes again to the sweet murmuring of Joe, a huge smile on his face.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter! It's been a ride and I've had so much fun with this story. There's going to be sequels, so if you liked it too don't worry!

Once they're feeling more awake, Joe goes to fetch Patrick a glass of water. Patrick watches him go, still naked, and he laughs softly to himself. If this is how it's gonna be all the time, then Patrick could definitely get used to this.

Joe returns with his water a minute later, a smile on his face. "You feeling better?" Joe asks, concern in his eyes, and love. Patrick takes the water and swallows some of it down. He nods and Joe looks relieved. He sits down next to him on the bed and Patrick puts the water on the nightstand to cuddle with him.

"Dude, I love you." Joe murmurs, brushing a hand through his hair, gentle and soft. Patrick smiles into his neck and repeats it back, whispering the words against the bite mark on Joe's neck. His own aches, but he can get through the pain.

Patrick and Joe favor cuddling over talking, and before long Patrick's wrapped up in Joe's arms, the tiniest, most comfortable of spoons. He's happy to stay in this position, even if they are both wide awake now.

Eventually though, Joe pulls away from him. "I'm hungry, wanna eat?" Patrick's aware of how hungry he himself is, and he nods. Maybe it's Joe's hunger that's amplifying his, because he's starving. 

"What do you got?" Patrick asks, climbing out of the bed and taking Joe's hand once he puts on boxers. He's hoping its something good. He could really go for pizza right about now. 

Joe shrugs and wanders to the fridge, pulling it open. It's mostly bare, a few sodas and lunch meat stare back at them. "I can order something?" Joe suggests when their search in the pantry and freezer turn up nothing.

Patrick nods. "Yes please." Joe grabs his phone and calls, and while he's ordering Patrick heads to the living room, falling down onto the couch. He really takes a look around the apartment now, something he failed to earlier.

It's simple, small, and the living room connects to the kitchen and a small hallway. There's the couch, a tv, and a bookshelf, a little bare, filled mostly with knick knacks. Joe's guitars lays in the corner, and a few more boxes. Patrick hasn't moved anything in yet, but he's excited to.

He's excited to start a new chapter of his life here, with Joe. Patrick's finally free to be his own person, he doesn't have to be who everyone else tells him. He tugs on his collar, wishing he could take it off. It reminds him that Joe and him are bonded now, so his collar can legally be changed to whatever they like, and the tag can now say Joe's name. It's required by mated couples, and he winces to remember.

Joe comes back in a moment later, catching his face. "What's up?" He asks, sitting down on the couch next to him and propping his feet on the coffee table. "I know somethings up." He adds. Patrick rolls his eyes. He's never going to be able to keep anything to himself anymore.

"Was just thinking about my collar." Patrick says, tugging on it. "We're mated, now it has to say your name." 

Joe frowns and Patrick can feel a faint feeling of upset. "Your not property." Joe pouts at him, crossing his arms. "Its stupid." Patrick sighs, but doesn't argue. "Look, let's not worry about t right now. We don't have to get anything changed at the moment, it's not like we'll get in trouble if we put it off.

Patrick nods and cuddles close to Joe instead of arguing. They can argue later. For now, he just wants to relax with his boyfriend, his mate, until his mother calls him home. Speaking of which, they really have to figure out what to do about this.

"What are we going to tell my mom?" Patrick asks, fingers tracing one of Joe's tattoos. He's worried about it, despite the content and happy feeling he has right now, and he doesn't want anything to ruin this. If his mother kicks him out and disowns him or something, he's not sure what he'll do.

Joe senses his worry and brushes a hand through his hair. "We're just gonna tell her. We're gonna tell her the truth. We've been dating for months and we're in love, we know we're right for each other. If she doesn't accept this, then I'll be there for you, 'Trick." Joe says simply. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Patrick feels an overwhelming love towards Joe yet again, and he kisses his neck, hiding his smile. He wants his mother to accept him and Joe, with his entire heart, but he's worried. She knows that Joe's parents are an odd couple and she's never said anything, but it might be different, Patrick's her son.

He's not entirely sure and he doesn't want to think about it, not now, when he could be kissing Joe. So that's what he does.

A while later they're watching TV. Patrick's phone rings and he scrambles to grab it, opening it up to answer his mother. A fresh wave of worry hits him, making a knot tighten in his stomach.

"Hey, sweetie. Are you coming home today? We should start packing your stuff up." She says brightly. It's almost as if she's glad Patrick's leaving, but Patrick knows that's not the case. At least, it is right now, until she finds out that Joe and him are bonded.

"Um, yeah. Joe will drop me off soon." Patrick tells her, giving Joe a desperate look. He doesn't want to go home! "I'll see you then, mom."

His mother gives him a goodbye and then hangs up, letting Patrick freak out a little more. Joe's by his side in an instant, a hand on his back and one on his knee. "Breathe, Patrick. It's going to be okay." Joe tells him, but Patrick can feel his worry mingling with his own. 

"What if it's not?" Patrick asks, trembling all over. "What if she hates me?"

Joe shakes his head and rubs circles into his back. "Your mom can't hate you forever. I've done stupid shit that's made my parents hate me, but not for forever." Patrick's intrigued by what the stupid shit may be for a moment before he gets back to his own worrying. He'll ask later. "I promise, Patrick. It's going to be all right."

They watch some more TV and Patrick cuddles close to Joe, a storm of worry brewing in his stomach. Joe does his best to soothe him, murmuring soft words and rubbing his back, trying to keep him calm.

Two hours later, they're parked outside of Patrick's house and he thinks he may be hyperventilating. This is it. His mother will know before they manage to tell her. As soon as they walk in the house, she'll know. Patrick's not ready for this.

Joe takes his hand and kisses it. "It's going to be okay." Joe says again, squeezing his hand gently. Patrick nods and closes his eyes, taking a few shaky breaths before exiting the car. Joe takes his hand, squeezing again. 

The walk to the front door feels like a funeral march. Patrick's trembling and near tears with how worried he is. But Joe looks confident, not at all worried about what's going to happen. 

Joe knocks on the door and they wait a moment before its being opened. "Oh, Patrick! Good, I'm glad you're here- oh!" His mother cuts herself off as she sees their hands joined. Her eyes stop on the bite mark on Patrick's neck, and then widen. "Oh my goodness! What...?"

"Can we come in?" Joe asks, voice unwavering. Patrick's mother nods, at loss for words and they head in. Joe leads Patrick to the living room couch and sits down, pulling him close. Patrick hides his face in his neck, too afraid to face his mother.

Patricia is silent for a moment, just watching them. "You're mates." She states, voice void of any emotion. "New ones, as well." She adds, and Patrick can hear a touch of anger in her voice.

"Yes. Last night we mated. We've been dating for almost a year now." Joe tells her boldly, as unafraid as Patrick is afraid. It's a little comforting, and Patrick breathes in Joe's scent to keep himself calm. "We decided it was time to tell you."

"You're a beta." Patrick flinches and Joe soothes a hand down his back. Her voice is accusatory, like Joe forced Patrick into something. "What can you do for Patrick?"

Joe's hand stills on his back, and Patrick can feel anger bubbling up in him. This is new to Patrick. Joe never he's angry. He's chill and calm all the time, even to mean people he's not mean back. But now, Patrick can feel how the anger spreads through him, fire hot. "I can do everything for him." 

"You can't knot him. You can't give him kids. You can't protect him from alphas." Patrick's mother says, challenge in her voice, like she's daring Joe to respond. 

Joe takes a deep breath to calm himself. "I can love him. And I do. I love him with everything I have, Mrs. Stumph. And I'm not going to stop loving him even if you don't like it. We'll leave and we won't bother you again, but we knew we had to tell you."

Patrick's mother is silent again for a few moments. "Patrick, what do you think?" She asks, voice softening. In that moment, Patrick realizes that his mother loves him and wants him to be happy, but she was just concerned because Joe was a beta. 

"I-I love him." Patrick tells her, pulling away from Joe's neck. "Even before, before we were m-mates, I felt bonded to him." His mother eyes are worried, but soft, loving, and Patrick knows this was the right thing to do.

She nods, and takes a deep breath. "Whatever makes you happy. I know Joe is a good boy." His mother says, turning her gaze to Joe. "But you have to take care of him. He's an omega." 

"I will. I promise that I always will. I love him." Joe tells her, voice full of sincerity. Patrick's mother notices it too, and she gestures for Patrick to hug her. Patrick pulls away from Joe and stumbles over into her arms, hugging her tightly.

She rubs his back and he feels young again, like she's protecting him from all the monsters of the world.

But she's been doing it for eighteen years now and Patrick knows that with Joe, he can face these monsters and try to turn things around. Joe will protect him from the monsters of the world now.

Patrick sits back down next to Joe and takes his hand, feeling like everything is right. And he knows that it is. Joe smiles down at him, face full of love and adoration.

"It's going to be okay." Patrick says, to no one in particular. 

"Yeah. It is." Joe whispers in his ear, squeezing his hand tight and giving him a smile that puts the sun to shame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment on what you thought about this story, and a kudos if you enjoyed. I have really enjoyed writing this, and I love to see people enjoying it as much as I do.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment if you enjoyed! :-)


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